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Hartlepool youngsters thrashed 10-0 by Middlesbrough U21s in National League Cup

Hartlepool United youngsters were thrashed 10-0 by Middlesbrough U21s in the first game of the 2026/27 National League Cup.

The game kicked off at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon with Hartlepool first team manager Lee Clark not in charge for the game, instead it was lead by academy boss Alex Cross.

Frankie Coulson put Boro ahead after just 5 minutes, with Layton Campbell making it 2-0 three minutes later, and Ezra Tika-Lemba added a third just before half time.

The second half saw Boro continue to dominate, Coulson making it 4-0 on 50 minutes, Campbell 5-0 on 52 minutes, Daniel James making it six on the 54th minute, Lucca Kakai, who had only been on the pitch for a minute, to add Boro’s seventh with 30 minutes remaining, 8-0 thanks to Lucas Harrison on 65 minutes, Coulson completing his hat-trick, Hartlepool’s ninth with 20 minutes left and then added a fourth, Pools’ tenth on 90 minutes.

The highlights in full can be watched HERE.

To comply with competition rules, four players who started in Hartlepool’s league opener against Barrow were named in the National League Cup fixture, before being subbed off one minute in, as soon as the ball went out of play.

Lee Clark recently explained Hartlepool’s decision to compete in 2026/27 National League Cup with 12 clubs declining the invite.

The National League Cup will return for the new campaign, despite low attendances, boycotts and backlash.

The competition between National League clubs and Premier League 2 sides was introduced, the controversial competition launched much to everyone’s surprise, featuring 32 teams (16 National League, 16 Premier League 2 U21).

Lee Clark was asked by Hartlepool Mail about the subs situation for every National League Cup fixture this season:

“It’s something that we look at, of course. I’m not going to put what we’re looking to do, the big picture, with the first team in jeopardy by overplaying them. Our priorities are the National League, the FA Trophy and the FA Cup. We decided as a football club that the National League Cup was a real sensible thing to do because of bringing the under-21 team into the football club. We feel that it’s still the same.

“We don’t change our mindset just because of a horrific day on Tuesday and the result. Whenever you have bad days, you still learn things from them, that’s what these young lads will do. As I said at the start, my last few days have just been to make sure Alex Cross and his staff are okay. I’ve been through many results in my career. To get beat is a horrible thing in any way. To get beat in a scoreline like that can be horrendous. My concerns on Tuesday night was to just get round Alex and his staff and make sure they were alright.

“Alex will deal with the players, of course, what they’re left to experience now is, for the first time probably, that they’ve been in the spotlight. You get a little bit of criticism and that’s what happens. We’ve got to put them into that arena because when they get to first team level, that’s what they’ve got to deal with. It’s super hyped up even more so with social media now. They have to be ready for the environment.

“Lots of learning things, I can’t say for definite in terms of the next game, but we’re not going away from the ultimate project of this National League Cup being a basis for our U21 boys to get real good experience of the whole situation because ultimately, all that matters is I see players who I believe can cope with playing for this football club – that has high expectations – and have the ability to do it. Even on a horrific day on Tuesday, three or four of them showed up well on a difficult day.”

He said in pre-match press conference ahead of the Aldershot game, telling BBC Tees Sport: “It was a real difficult day and I felt so much for Alex Cross. Shell-shocked after the game. We just went into my office and sat for a while. Nobody spoke. I just felt for him and his staff really but it’s something that we talk about. It’s something that I’ve gone on record as saying that the competition has to be for our young players to develop them. They haven’t been together that long, it’s a new team.

“Alex didn’t have the opportunity to work a lot with the starting XI at all. You’ve got the situation where I have to start the game with four starters from the previous league game, which, without getting in too deep I don’t agree with and then you sub them off after a minute and put the four youngsters on. So yeah, all in all it was an extremely tough day but just making sure that Alex and his staff are in a good place still because obviously that would have hit them hard.”

Lee Clark explains Hartlepool’s decision to compete in National League Cup as more clubs decline invite

Clubs exploit little known loophole making subs in 1st minute of National League Cup matches

Social media users reacted with Hartlepool youngsters thrashed 10-0 by Middlesbrough U21s in National League Cup…

@Ironxcf: It’s literally just a payday for national league clubs, we went out in the groups last season and got £30,000 for it

@Lewis2003757601: Hartlepool youth team vs Middlesbrough u21. Time this tournament ends. Sickening to think it’s replaced replays

@CRMW__: Unlucky to lose that. Played well, just 10 lapses in concentration.

@adambrown005: Whoever’s idea it was to play a national league academy vs top level academy’s should be sacked first thing

@Davidjrj123: Pointless. Thrown a bunch of 16/17/18 year old kids under the bus and humiliated them to make a point in a competition nobody wanted to be in anyway. Opened them up to criticism and being laughed at by a paying crowd and online. I can’t see a positive impact that will have had.

@JW_HUFC: Close game lads, could’ve went either way

@1908pools: Great way to get the under 21 lads together and build confidence 🙄

 

@TheDB30:
– Played during the working day
– Subbed their required 4 first teamers instantly
– Double figures
– Conceded more goals than what the average attendance will be at these games
Tip my hat to them for exposing that clown show of a cup for what it is.

@Ryannx97: Was always against competing in this competition and now we’ve embarrassed ourselves and probably ruined all confidence in our academy squad. Avoid the competition next year. It’s pointless!

@PhilOwen702: unfortunately @Official_HUFC have thrown their youngsters under the bus in a pointless competition that will have lasting damage. Remember we gave FA cup replays for this shitshow of a competition. Feel sorry for the youngsters in this instance. Why bother entering.

@adampinder0711: Maybe a mistake entering a competition with our newly formed under 21s to play against established under 21s from a lot bigger clubs

@Pools1908: Can’t believe people are actually crying about this. Are people forgetting this is a new academy/u21 team? At least this has shown Landon how far behind we are. Plus let’s not forget how good Boros youth it

@rudebwoyben1: Far better not to enter this pointless competition than do this. If you want to win the National League don’t enter this competition.

@MbwLdurham: Really if we’re going to play in this Cup, stick first team players in who are not on bench or little game time, sending young lads in against a PL2 established U21 team is crazy, waste of time been in cup other wise, no purpose at all for the club

@UKFDFC: The competition is a complete waste of time for all involved 🙄

@ThePoolsPod: Believe this is our all-time biggest defeat, surpassing the 10-1 against Wrexham in the old Fourth Division in March 1962.

@adambrown005: Whoever’s idea it was to play a national league academy vs top level academy’s should be sacked first thing

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