Sheffield United vs Hartlepool United. Sky Bet League One.
Bramall LaneAttendance20,372.
Saturday 31 December 2011 15:48, UK
Neale Cooper's first game of his second reign as Hartlepool boss ended in defeat as Sheffield United cruised to a 3-1 win.
After Ched Evans was blocked in the area, Ryan Flynn seized on the loose ball to fire low past Scott Flinders in the 12th minute. Chris Porter doubled the hosts' advantage 11 minutes before half-time with a close-range header after Evans back-heeled into the path of Flynn, who crossed from the left byline Hartlepool went close to pulling a goal back in the 38th minute when Jack Baldwin's shot came back off the bar. Neil Austin also put a free-kick wide as Pools briefly rallied. Evans made it 3-0 shortly before the break, firing just inside Flinders' right-hand post after receiving the ball from Matt Lowton inside the area. Peter Hartley grabbed a consolation for the visitors in stoppage time with a low shot.
