Episode 8 Late Kick Off North East and Cumbria

On tonight's show, Alan Pardew was back with Arsenal tonight. We

reflect on the match. Sunderland are back in the safety zone after a

miraculous 12 days. And Gateshead have a huge week ahead of them in

the quest to win back their place in the football league.

Hello. Good evening, welcome along again.

We are delighted to be in the company of two of the region's

managers ` former Middlesbrough defender and now Hartlepool boss,

Colin Cooper and Gary Mills, of Gateshead. Simon Bird, of the Daily

Mirror, returns to give us our journalistic insight.

As ever, you can play your part and get in touch with us tonight with

any questions for the guys. Our archive slot later tonight goes back

to a Manchester United v Sunderland classic from the 1970s.

Let's start with Alan Pardew's return to the dugout tonight for the

first time in almost two months as Newcastle at Arsenal. Here's his

post match thoughts. We find ourselves in this run, and

the only thing that we can do to get out of it is to show the character

that we did tonight. Hopefully the opposition will not be as good as

Arsenal tonight. It is a lonely place to be a

football manager in the midst of such a run. You seem to be quite

cheerful and have the appetite still. I think it is important when

you are leading a group to be strong. I know that I have the

greatest support in the country, but not when you have six defeats. I

know that our fans will turn up and make the stadium positive, because

the players need that confidence. If we can get that win under our belt,

things will look better. We will be in the top ten all year, we hope to

stay there. They stayed there tonight, two

points above Stoke. Liverpool away on the final day.

Great to see you. Being a manager, six defeats in a row for Newcastle.

Do you have empathy? Yes, it was only a week ago that I

was on the verge of the six myself. We lost an important game, and 1`nil

down. You wonder. But, luckily for me, the boys managed to turn it

around and win. What Alan is saying about the Newcastle fans, they will

be very important on Saturday. I have been there when they are all

urging you to victory, and that is what they need, a positive end to

the season. I think what Alan is saying, Arsenal were better the

Newcastle this evening, but they did not defend the first goal well

enough and the officials did not help them for the second goal, two

out of the three. But they have to finish positively, and 52,000

Geordies will get them going. Newcastle have lost 14 of their last

19 games. How does a manager stop that? We talk about getting results.

You want to win, but when you go through a period of not winning,

view make sure that you don't lose. I think to be solid, pick up a

couple of draw matches, they will hopefully get the confidence to win

the next game. It is great to win, but going through a period of not

winning, it is important that you do not lose. You will be there on

Saturday, he is asking for the crowd to be positive?

It is a dangerous thing to say. I think he needs to concentrate on his

own team. His team have not scored for 13 of the last 18 games. If the

team are not scoring goals or providing entertainment,

surrendering quite meekly like they did tonight, looking like they are

not good enough, repeated set of mistakes since January, he should

concentrate the team. The fans back him all the time, there has barely

been a murmur. How important is the top ten Fisher

`` finish? It is very important. If they do not win that, they are under

a lot of pressure. They need to win over a lot of fans.

Now, a few weeks ago Gus Poyet was hoping for a Sunderland miracle with

his team seven points adrift of safety. It's been a remarkable

turnaround since. You look at the table and at the

games, how many that we need to win. I think we need a miracle.

# Are you waiting for a miracle? #.

With Sunderland, anything can happen.

It certainly did. Yesterday's 4`0 win over Cardiff means Sunderland

are out of the bottom three for the first time since early February, to

the relief of Gus Poyet. Between the staff and the players,

they never stop. You never know. It is not a miracle, but it is becoming

a reality. Still plenty to do. You don't want to think that it is

over? No, everything can change. We have been in the bottom and we could

be in the bottom again, so we need to make sure that we do not miss the

opportunity. This has been a nice surprise.

Three games to go, out of the drop zone on goal difference. On the

other side, seven points from nine out of nowhere, sometimes with a

player and a manager, do you feel that momentum and it comes from

somewhere? Yes, it has been very difficult. We

need a miracle. They have given themselves a belief and with belief

comes confidence. The reverse is what happens in later. Watching them

play against Cardiff yesterday, you can see what was happening, winning

the two home games, job done. At the start of the season, you would have

accepted that, but I have been very impressed with them.

Often, from the manager's point of view, you need a catalyst. He has

had that from Connor. Is that look, is that judgement? He has called him

back from Leeds where he did not score.

Strikers score goals but they think that they can score every week. They

go through a period of not scoring and then they do not think they can

score again. He has five goals now, it looks like he could score every

time. The mental side of the game is incredible. To get that confidence

as a team, going to Manchester City and Chelsea to pick up four points.

The confidence and belief that would have given them, a 4`0 win game at

home. No difference with the team. The confidence built up over those

games are amazing. You were there yesterday.

How different was the atmosphere at the end? It was different at the

start as well. It did not feel like a club at the bottom of the table.

Everyone was singing however thing would be all right. That transmitted

itself to the players. He has safety form, and rightly showed there

should be a positive atmosphere. Is the danger that the job is done as

he says? He should not get complacent. It

always looks like a lifeline. They should finish the job now.

Some of our teams enjoyed a happier Easter period than others. Here is

Simon Pryde with the latest action. Two defeats over Easter had ended

Middlesbrough's faint hopes of the championships, and Barnsley took the

lead at the Riverside. Former Sunderland defender Jean`Yves M'voto

put the ball into the net. But it took Lee Tomlin less than a minute

to get things back on level terms. The game looked to be heading for a

draw until Danny Graham pounced to score from close range, his fifth

goal of the season. And it was still time to net his second of the game,

13 for him. And Boro could still end up in the top half of the table by

the end of the season. For Barnsley, relegation.

Carlisle hosted Walsall on Good Friday, desperate for points in

their battle against relegation from League One. Liam Noble's first half

effort via the post and keeper Richard O' Donnell perked up the

home supporters whose fingernails had become well gnawed by the time

Michael Ngoo equalised five minutes from time, to deny United a couple

of precious points. It was always going to be tough for

the Cumbrians on Easter Monday, against promotion chasing

Peterborough. Conor Washington struck inside the first quarter of

an hour, and ten minutes into the second`half, Reece Brown's handball

allowed Britt Assombalonga to double the advantage from the penalty spot.

Lee Miller's well taken effort gave Carlisle hope, but then on loan

keeper Jordan Pickford fouled Assombalonga, who again made no

mistake from the spot, his 32tnd goal this season. Michael Bostwick's

long`range effort wrapped things up for the home side, leaving Graham

Kavanagh's team firmly in the relegation zone.

We are away from home against a good team. We are still in the league and

with the extra game, if we can win, we can give ourselves a fighting

chance. So, the pressure was very much on

Kavanagh and his players for Oldham and it was a nervous affair. Oldham

substitute James Dayton broke the deadlock. Carlisle rallied, but were

denied by a visiting keeper who kept out efforts first from Redmond and

then David Symington. The Cumbrians travel to Crawley tomorrow night,

knowing that defeat would condemn them to League Two next season.

1`0 to the Minster Man could do as York's unofficial anthem. They

dispatched Oxford and Bury to that score, when Lee Minshull missed the

best opportunity, what happened next was inevitable. The effort that hit

the bar served as a warning. The second`half free kick proved to be a

winner, securing a seventh 1`0 win since the beginning, and confirming

that place in the League Two play`offs.

The alarm bells had been ringing loudly for Hartlepool for some time.

They became deafening on Easter Saturday. Albion in front, Jimmy

Phillips added a second in the second`half and as Hartlepool began

to tire, Lee Bell's free kick secured a 3`0 win.

So they went into Monday's clash with Morecambe on the back of six

straight defeats and when Kevin Ellison's header put the visitors in

front, home supporters felt here we go again. The mood was not helped by

this foul midway through the second half. Things were looking bleak,

until the substitute Jack Compton put Hartlepool level, and then Jack

Barnsley completed the comeback, ensuring leaked to survival, to the

relief for everyone. So, Hartlepool were able to enjoy a

pressure free trip, caught off`guard by Jason Banton, a wonderful

individual effort. But Jack Barmby took advantage of the mistake in the

second half to equalise and sparked second half to equalise and sparked

a pitch invasion of Thunderbirds. The result leaves Hartlepool 17th in

League Two, just above Wimbledon, who today had three points deducted.

That means Hartlepool boat or a place without even taking a ball! ``

go up a place. Was Morecambe full of tension and relief? Tension,

emotions. We needed to give the lads the belief. You are losing games but

not by much. Keep believing in what we are trying to do. We were a goal

down. Simon Walton got sent off. I made a couple of substitutions and

was getting criticised by some of the supporters but I accept that,

you have to make decisions. Both players scored so I got that right.

Have you enjoyed the season? Every minute of it, I have been trying to

get into it many years. I said four years ago this was what I wanted and

I am relishing get. It is hard work and you are travelling and you see

little of your family. `` relishing it. I have long wanted it and I am

enjoying it. How much of a challenge is it in that division given the

restraints? When I took the job, everything was in place, the players

contracts had been sorted. They have worked hard and what we have to do

is reassessed over the summer and find a solution to make us better.

Wherever we finish up in the table is not had enough so I have the

finances. `` good enough. You get challenges as managers, I guess you

did not see your assistant going midweek! He got offered an

opportunity that was difficult to turn down. We had a plan to stay at

Hartlepool and do the best job we can, that did not happen. I have had

to put more hours in and more miles at with no bad feeling towards

Craig, we are still good friends. My job over the summer is to recruit

staff that give me the support I need and players to finish better in

the league and hopefully get into the play`offs or better. I guess it

is no coincidence your former club was Mac fortunes have gone up since

Craig went. `` your former club's fortunes. Craig is good at his job,

he had been hovering around doing different jobs and I asked him to

commit full`time. He did that and he was good at his job and that was

recognised by Middlesbrough who offered him the opportunity. We

could not prevent that. My job as manager is to find somebody as good

if not better to support me and give us a chance to mount a challenge

next year and give Hartlepool a chance to get out of this league.

Graham Kavanagh and Carlisle, a big week, if they lose tomorrow, they

are down. The run that they are on now is bad and you can see what it

means to Graham Kavanagh. A miracle is needed in the next games. You led

York City into the football league and they are in the play`offs. They

have done well, they are in the play`off position. Michael Coulson

scores week in and week out, I took him to the club. He had bad injuries

but he is a good player and is coming good. Gateshead are the

in`form team in the Conference, currently 12 unbeaten in their quest

to return to the Football League since they were voted out in 1960.

This is only their fifth season back at this level. Simon Pryde went to

their crucial final league match at home to Cambridge.

Today, it's a decent place to have a kickabout with your mates, but if

you'd been standing on this spot 54 years and one day ago, you'd have

witnessed Gateshead's last ever goal as a football league club. Now

they're potentially just four games away from a return to the big time.

Just what would it mean if Gateshead could do it and get back into the

Football League? I think it would be a marvellous achievement because I

was there 54 years ago when we were relegated, in 1960, in the days when

they played at Redheugh Park. Just down the road from here. For the

long`suffering supporters, it would be great. We have waited for this a

long time. A bit of pressure, what is going to

happen today? We will come straight out of the traps and score two

goals, then take our foot off a bit. We're going to win though. We need

it, we need to get the points. Three`nil. I would love that! What

sort of form are Gateshead taking into this game? Against Southport,

it was a late equaliser and that goal was crucial from Jamie

Chandler. They then went to Macclesfield on Easter Monday and

Colin Larkin set us up with an early goal. They got a second after

half`time through Marcus Maddison, who has been really exciting in the

second half of the season. And that has meant they go into this game

with Cambridge three points clear of Braintree, knowing all they need is

a point. The reality is that you are just

four good results away from a return to the Football League, is that

something you are allowing yourself to think about? Oh, yes. I have been

thinking about it every day, for a long time.

What would it mean if it happened? Well, I don't know, we would be

looking at where we go next. What else to you do in football? `` do

you do. You always have to have a goal, don't you? It has gone in!

From absolutely nothing! He has crossed the ball from almost a

corner flag. Right`hand side. They can attack

now. To the left. This is a chance for Larkin!

Rob Ramshaw, deflected. Here is the corner. Ramshaw, yes! Rob Ramshaw

slides to his knees in front of the main stand. It is a second goal and

surely a goal that confirms their place in the play`offs!

Gateshead are into the Conference play`offs. The next step for Gary

Mills and his team is to try to get to Wembley.

It means everything. We've got an honest bunch of lads in there that

give their all every week. And we've got a new management team that have

come in and they've completely changed the mindset of the whole

dressing room, and I'm just really pleased for the lads in there

because they fully deserve it. We don't want it to end here, we want

to go to Wembley and get promoted. What are some of the achievements of

Gary Mills and his team this season? It is there for all to see. Just a

couple of games ago, we were 18 points behind Cambridge, and we

finish the season just three points behind. It begs the question, where

would we have been if Gary had been here from the get`go? He has brought

a few tricks from Brian Clough as well, so he keeps them interested!

The chairman wants to talk about Brian Clough, what is your best

trick? What I learned from him is that it is a simple game, keep

things basic, everybody has to know their job and enjoyed the game. It

is a long time, a season, and you have two enjoyed it from day one.

You have good and bad times but you have to smile `` you have to enjoy

it. I learned that with the boss. But with my own philosophies and how

I like things done. The skipper said he has an honest dressing room. And

we have, they have been fantastic. We have got to the play`offs and we

want to take it further and get to Wembley. When you arrived in

September, did you believe a top three finish? Gateshead's higher ``

highest ever conference finish, did you think that was possible? We

played Wrexham and it was atrocious, the third game. After

that, I thought, no. Players have listened and they have worked hard

and we deserve to get to where we have got to. Third is an incredible

achievement from the players and the club. We have got that advantage now

playing at home on Sunday finishing third. We are ready for it. We have

been enjoying it. We enjoyed a 46 games `` the 40 games. We all

looking forward to the play`off games but you have to get to

Wembley. A new ground for Gateshead but not for you. You have been to

Wembley before, but that stand you in good stead? `` well that. Yes,

you never stop learning. I have hopefully learned things this

season. I believe the mindset of the good players in my dressing room was

all that was missing. The 46 games have gone. I have told the players

that, we go into a Champions League semifinal to get to the final at

Wembley. To get Gateshead 54 years back into the football league and

that sends shivers down my spine `` football. The chairman is

fantastic, he saw Gateshead go out. He wants it badly. I said I wanted

to deliver that. I want to get them back in the league for him. If they

can deliver, it would nice `` it would be nice to have a north`east

dobby. `` dobby. For the region, it would be great. I hope the opposite

does not happen. `` derby. To have three games `` to have three teams

in the third division would not be great. Good luck to Darlington 1883

as well this week, as they aim to win back`to`back promotions. Their

Evostik Northern Premier League North play`off semifinal against

Ramsbottom takes place at Bishop Auckland on Wednesday.

And congratulations to Northern League champions Spennymoor Town,

who hope to have their promotion into the Northern Premier League

confirmed soon. And well done also to Humbeldon Plains, the Sunday

League side we featured on Late Kick Off a few weeks ago, who won the FA

Sunday Cup at Ewood Park with a 5`2 win over Oyster Martyrs, of

Liverpool. Now it's time for Twitter.

A lot for Colin. Hartlepool fans, since the club had to fight tight

financial restraints, what are your expectations realistically? It is

about good players, you can find them if you look hard enough. Gary

will be working under similar financial constraints and you have

to find good players, young or old. You have get them to buy into what

you are doing within the constraints you are working in. I have been

looking for good players all season and I have picked a view up `` a

number. I will be looking for that again next year. The idea is to find

players young and old to make us better. A lot of well`wishers to

Gateshead. Good luck in the play`offs. If you were to go up, or

would there be money available to strengthen the team? `` would bear.

To go into the league would be fantastic for Gateshead. Finances

come with promotion. `` would there be. We are not going to work as hard

as we have if we do not stay and move forward. It is a difficult test

but financially, you have to have a decent budget. Jeff says, it in the

papers, any truth about a player going to Newcastle? He should be

accepted, Alan Pardew likes him. He could be a back`up and maybe he will

do a good job, we will have to see, he is on the radar, Alan Pardew once

English players. Free agents for Hartlepool, Canterbury, then?

Apparently, he wants to finish his career in

Thanks to all out guests tonight, Simon, Colin and Gary. And all the

best, Gary, for the play`offs. Thanks to you as well for your

Twitter comments, questions and video tape archive requests. As

Sunderland prepare for their trip to Old Trafford on Saturday, we leave

you with a flashback to 40 years ago and a Second Division match between

the sides that was voted Match of the Day's Match of the Season. Cue

Jimmy Hill. See you next week. Good night.

What a game, watched by 60,000 fans of both clubs who made it a

memorable occasion. Sunderland are in the all`white strip.

Good all, and he waited his moment! `` ball. Malone for Sunderland. He

has got men over, yes! Robson. Hughes wants a return and he

is getting it. Yes! He has done well. Very well indeed!

Mackle right! `` McIlroy.