His double yesterday took his tally for the season to nine and took the sting out of Whitby's spirited early challenge."Both goals were typical Marco goals," Neale Cooper, the Hartlepool manager, said. At 35, he still has the finisher's instinct in front of goal. At the height of his goalpoaching career, some 12 years ago, the England B International was a £1.8m buy for Crystal Palace, from Sunderland. It was Whitby's misfortune to encounter Marco Gabbiadini in vintage striking form.
On the pitch, to the relief of most in attendance, the spectre of Frickley 1985 was absent too. Yesterday's butchers, bakers, plumbers and bricklayers of Whitby Town failed to follow in the studmarks of Frickley Athletic, the only non-Leaguers to execute an FA Cup shock at Hartlepool since the Second World War. Toxic ghost ships made no appearance on the horizon at Hartlepool yesterday while the vessel moored in the marina outside Victoria Park was only HMS Trincomalee, the world's oldest floating warship and - thankfully, for the 5,294 inside the ground - a harmless tourist attraction these days. But just as impressive was the performance of Ryman Premier side Ford United, who drew 2-2 at Port Vale, several times leaders of the Second Division this year.Weston-super-Mare of the Dr Martens Premier won 1-0 at Conference side Farnborough, and Unibond Premier team Stalybridge drew 2-2 at the Conference's Barnet.. Nigel Clough's Burton, of the Conference, won 2-1 at Torquay United of the Third Division courtesy of a Steve Woods own goal and Robert Talbot's winner, while at Broadhall Way Dino Maamria scored both goals as Stevenage, also of the Conference, beat Second Division Stockport County 2-1.Karl Rose scored the only goal as a third Conference side, Scarborough, went through against Third Division Doncaster. Derby County slipped into the bottom three when manager George Burley's former club, Ipswich Town,
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came back from a 2-0 deficit at Pride Park to draw 2-2. Watford gained a deserved point against Nottingham Forest when substitute Lee Cook made it 1-1 at the City Ground.Gillingham beat Crewe 2-0, and Cardiff City's Robert Earnshaw took his season's tally to 19 goals when he scored twice in Cardiff City's 3-1 home defeat of Stoke City.In the FA Cup first round, Burton Albion, Stevenage Borough and Scarborough all donned the non-League giant-killing mantle against League opposition. "There's a lot more to come from him," Nigel Worthington, the Norwich manager, said of the 18-year-old "He's done nothing yet...he's had one-and-a-half games."Sunderland were held to a goalless draw by Coventry City at the Stadium of Light and dropped to fifth.Down among the strugglers, Rotherham moved out of the bottom three when Martin Butler and Chris Swailes scored late in the first half to set up a 3-1 defeat of Wimbledon at Millmoor. At the end of the day, the chairman has shown faith in me and not made any rash decisions."Little did he know. There have been persistent rumours that Stuart McCall, the Scottish international midfielder who had two spells as a Bantam, was being lined up for a player-coach role if results did not improve. Bradford's next match is on 22 November.As one reign ended, another began at Crystal Palace, where Kit Symons made a point from his first match as the Eagles' caretaker player-manager after a 1-1 draw with Preston North End at Selhurst Park.
