Hebburn Town vs Hartlepool — Match Details | Betmana

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Hartlepool United made it four wins from four in pre-season with a 3-2 victory over Hebburn Town at the Trustmark Group Stadium, recovering from 1-1 at half-time through goals from Max Kouogun and Chris Popov in a six-minute second-half spell.

Match Videos

POST-MATCH REACTION | vs Hartlepool United | Pre-season friendly

Match Analysis

AI Summary

How it unfolded

Hartlepool dominated the early exchanges. Chris Popov forced Hebburn goalkeeper Callum Dobson into a low save, and Elliot Forbes' shot rolled into the gloves of Trialist A at the other end.

The breakthrough arrived in the 17th minute when a low cross from the left found Charman unmarked at the back post, and the striker made no mistake. Pools nearly doubled their lead soon after, but Dobson tipped Popov's effort around the post, and Charlie Thornton fired over from distance.

Hebburn grew into the game and equalised nine minutes before half-time. Foreman collected the ball on the edge of the area and whipped a precise effort into the bottom-right corner.

The hosts almost snatched the lead early in the second half when Josh Donaldson — on loan from Hartlepool — was narrowly unable to connect with Liam Murray's low cross across the face of goal.

The turning point

Hartlepool's response after the hour mark decided the contest. On 60 minutes, Corey McKeown's corner was met by Max Kouogun, who powered a header home from point-blank range to restore the visitors' lead. Six minutes later, the game looked beyond Hebburn when a loose defensive pass and a slip from Dobson allowed Popov to tap into an empty net.

McKeown almost added a fourth, curling narrowly wide from outside the box, before Jake Charles drilled a late consolation past Trialist A into the top-right corner in the 89th minute.

Key performers

Corey McKeown — Selected as man of the match by Hartlepool Mail journalist Mark Carruthers. The summer signing provided the corner for Kouogun's decisive header and was a constant threat from midfield before being replaced by Joe Aungiers in the 78th minute.

Max Kouogun — The defender's 60th-minute header from McKeown's corner was the pivotal moment, swinging momentum back in Pools' favour after Hebburn had started the second half brightly.

Chris Popov — The Wales U21 international was lively throughout and capped his performance with a predatory finish in the 66th minute, capitalising on defensive uncertainty to score from close range.

Kian Foreman — The young forward, on loan at Hebburn, produced a moment of quality with his first-half equaliser and was a persistent threat against his parent club's rivals.

By the numbers — interpreted

SoccerPunter data shows Hartlepool enjoyed 56% possession and generated 14 shots (6 on target) to Hebburn's 8 (3 on target). The visitors also won the corner count 6-1, reflecting their sustained pressure — particularly after the break. Kouogun's goal from a corner was a logical outcome of that set-piece dominance.

Hebburn created 83 attacks to Hartlepool's 87 and 34 dangerous attacks to 47 — a tighter contest than the possession split suggests, with both sides carving out chances before the decisive second-half spell.

What it means

Hartlepool's fourth straight pre-season victory — following wins over Redcar Athletic (4-2) and Spennymoor Town (2-1), among others — means Lee Clark's side have scored 12 goals in four friendlies. Clark gave his outfield players their first full 90 minutes of pre-season, with McKeown the only substitution.

"We're getting a lot of different players on the scoresheet," Clark told the club's official website. "The biggest thing for me is the character of the players. What that showed me is that we have a really good character and mentality in the group."

Hartlepool return to the Prestige Group Stadium on Saturday 25 July to host Grimsby Town (3pm kick-off) in their first home friendly of the summer. Hebburn continue their pre-season programme with a trip to face Morpeth Town.

Verdict

A productive workout for Clark's side, who showed the ruthlessness required to turn a tight game into a comfortable lead within six minutes. The second-half response to Clark's half-time demands — he said his players were "outstanding to a man" after the break — suggests the mentality is sharpening ahead of the National League campaign. Hebburn, a step below in the Northern Premier League, competed well but were undone by a classy set-piece finish and a defensive lapse.