A goalless draw at the Prestige Group Stadium saw Hartlepool United and Brackley Town share the spoils in their English National League encounter. Despite a number of tactical adjustments and substitutions, neither side was able to find the back of the net, leaving supporters disappointed.
The first half proved to be a cautious affair, with both teams struggling to establish dominance. Brackley’s Zak Lilley was shown a yellow card in the 14th minute for a foul, signalling a physical contest. Just before the break, Brackley made their first substitution, Bailey Hobson replacing Shane Byrne in the 44th minute, a tactical move intended to invigorate their midfield.
Hartlepool began the second half with renewed intent. In the 57th minute, manager Simon Grayson made a double substitution, introducing Jamie Miley for Matty Daly and Danny Johnson for Luke Charman, in an attempt to ignite their attack. Further changes followed in the 72nd minute, with Jermaine Francis replaced by Brad Walker, and Vadaine Oliver taking the place of Besart Topalloj, as Hartlepool continued their search for a breakthrough. Brackley manager Gavin Cowan received a yellow card for dissent in the 74th minute, highlighting the increasing tension on the sidelines. In the same minute, Hartlepool’s Maxim Kouogun was also cautioned for a foul. In the 78th minute, Hartlepool made another change, with Nathan Ferguson replacing Jay Benn. Brackley responded with two late substitutions of their own: Miracle Okafor replaced Zak Brown in the 83rd minute, and Danny Waldron came on for Matt Lowe in the 87th minute. However, neither team could find the elusive goal.
The match ended with the scoreline unchanged at 0-0. Hartlepool now sit in 8th position with 14 points, while Brackley Town occupy 13th place with 10 points.
