Jamie Miley has welcomed new Hartlepool United goalkeeper Max Thompson ahead of their National League fixture against Tamworth this Saturday. The 22-year-old, who joined on a short-term deal, made his immediate debut in the midweek defeat to Harrogate Town under interim bosses Adam Clayton and Gary Liddle.
Miley, who played alongside Thompson in Newcastle United's academy from a young age, said the goalkeeper showed his qualities in that first outing and he is pleased to have him at the club. Despite the 1-0 loss, Miley challenged his teammates to take positive aspects from their effort and performance into the weekend's game, believing goals will come as confidence improves. He pointed to the team's recent goal minutes, noting they have scored 8 of their 11 league goals this season in the final half-hour of matches, a statistic fans can explore further in the club's stats section.
Hartlepool’s recent form
Hartlepool suffered an eighth defeat in their last nine home games with that loss to Harrogate Town on Tuesday night. Bailey Hobson's second-half goal sealed the result, extending a difficult run for the side who sit 22nd in the standings. Miley acknowledged the crowd remained behind the team and said the performance deserved more, but the club is now on a run of five consecutive defeats across all competitions.
Tamworth travel north sitting 20th in the National League on 11 points from 11 games. Their form has been mixed, with a 2-0 home win over Sutton United last Monday, where Kyle Donnelly scored and Emmanuel Osadebe netted an own goal, followed by a heavy 5-1 defeat to Aldershot Town. Their next fixtures schedule shows a home game against Wealdstone immediately following this trip to Victoria Park.
The match at Victoria Park kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, with both sides looking to move clear of the lower reaches of the division. Tamworth's next assignment is this key away trip to face a Hartlepool side desperate to end their losing streak.
