Match Preview

Hartlepool Rovers face the second leg of a difficult October treble when they visit Barnard Castle on Saturday (kick off 3pm).

Week one didn’t go well with a 43-8 home defeat to Durham City and, after a free heel-kicking week, it is second-placed Barnard Castle up next and next week’s trip to relegated Guisborough brings the month to a close.

The Whites’ Achilles’ heel of weak defending cost them in the City game and they were taught a lesson in defensive technique by a City side who conceded no points when down to thirteen men.

Barnard Castle surprised a fair few pundits last season by more than holding their own after coming up from Durham Northumberland Two and their ranks have been bolstered by the signing of former Blaydon forward Chris Wearmouth.

Selection for the Friaragemen has been badly affected by a long unavailability list but there is a return from injury for former captain Andrew Dring at number eight with this season’s skipper Callum Whitehead switching to the second row.

Recently, Michael Railton has been running in the tries for the first team and on Saturday brother Steven starts on the wing and there is also the return of Chris Sainty who comes in at full back.

Rovers: Sainty, O’Callaghan, Mulvihill, Montgomery, S Railton, Fawcett, Pelser, Pinchen, R Clayton, Lloyd, Whitehead (c), Little, Church, Wood, Dring. Subs: Ross, Jeffrey, Stephenson