Get the lowdown on the U’s next opponents: Hartlepool United.

The Opposition

Hartlepool United are a side on the up, with the Pools in a far different situation to when the U’s visited County Durham back in October.

Having returned to the fifth tier in 2022, Hartlepool had initially looked a promising outfit under former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips, but controversially opted to replace him with Darren Sarll at the start of the season. This produced the reverse of the intended effect though, with the Monkey Hangers enduring a poor fun of form during the opening months of the season, and thus saw the club destined for a relegation battle with the threat of a first ever campaign in the sixth tier looming.

However, the appointment of non-executive director Lennie Lawrence for a second stint as caretaker steadied the ship, with the former Sutton player holding the role permanently until February 2025, opting to step back and allow Head Coach Anthony Limbrick take full charge.

Under Lawrence’s guidance, the Pools have risen up to 12th in the National League table and currently sit just three points below the play-off spots. A far cry from what things looked like at the start of the campaign, they have strengthen their ranks in an attempt to mount a serious promotion charge, with Jack Robinson and Jamie Miley brought in to plug the backline, while Sam Folarin and Reyes Cleary have added quality in the final third alongside top scorer Mani Dieseruvwe and summer signings Adam Campbell and Gary Madine.

Recent Form

Braintree Town 1-1 Hartlepool United

Barnet 2-0 Hartlepool United

Hartlepool United 1-1 Woking

Wealdstone 1-1 Hartlepool United

Hartlepool United 2-1 Oldham Athletic

Gateshead 4-3 Hartlepool United

The Manager

Anthony Limbrick

Australian-born former defender Anthony Limbrick is set to take charge of his first game in full charge of Hartlepool United, having taken over from Lennie Lawrence this week after initially holding the role of Head Coach.

Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Limbrick played for Riverside Olympic before moving to Queensland on mainland Australia, playing for Bundaberg Waves and Rochedale Rovers during the first years of his career. He later moved to England and carved out a spell in non-league, featuring for Northwood and Wingate & Finchley before a broken leg ended his playing days in 2006.

Limbrick maintained a career in football after hanging up his boots, becoming a youth team coach at Boreham Wood before returning to former club Wingate & Finchley as first team coach in 2007. He would depart in 2010 to join Southampton as a youth coach, working under first team managers Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, before spending time as part of the England Under-17’s coaching staff as well as West Ham United’s academy.

Keen to forge a career in management, Limbrick soon became one of few notable Australian managers who have coached in the United Kingdom when he was appointed manager of Woking, joining Ange Postecoglou of Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Kewell, formerly of Crawley Town, Notts County, Oldham Athletic and Barnet.

He notably guided the Cards to the FA Cup Second Round after beating then-Football League side Bury, before being dismissed a year later. Limbrick subsequently took over as interim manager of Grimsby Town having previously been brought in as assistant to Michael Jolley, and took on the same role under Ian Holloway before departing Blundell Park in September 2020.

A move to Wales followed for the 41-year old with a spell in charge of The New Saints, with whom he guided to the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round. Limbrick’s side cruised through the first two qualifying stages with victory over Glentoran and FK Kauno Žalgiris, although a penalty shootout defeat in the second leg of the third round saw them exit the competition at the hands of Viktoria Plzeň. Nonetheless, The New Saints dominated the opening weeks of the 2021/22 Cymru Premier, remaining undefeated after the first seven league fixtures and saw Limbrick awarded Cymru Premier Manager of the Month. He would end the campaign by becoming the first Australian manager to win a top-flight European football league after his side drew 3−3 with Penybont to seal the 2021/22 title, before later claiming the Welsh Cup with a 3–2 win over the same outfit in the final.

A successful two-year stint in Wales preceded a brief spell in Gibraltar with Manchester 62, before returning to England with a spell as Head of Academy Professional Development Phase Coach at Peterborough United.

This was followed by his first managerial role in England in seven years when he took over as manager at Hartlepool United in February 2025, having initially been brought in as head coach as a part of newly appointed manager Lennie Lawrence’s coaching staff. Lawrence had held the role since November when he replaced Darren Sarll, but stepped back this week to allow Limbrick to take over as manager.

One to Watch

Emmanuel Dieservuwe

Experienced forward Emmanuel Dieseruvwe has been a thorn in the side of numerous National League clubs, and will no doubt be tough to deal with for the U’s on Saturday.

Born in Leeds, Dierseruvwe began his career in the Sheffield Wednesday academy and spent time out on loan at Hyde United, Fleetwood Town and Chesterfield, before joining the latter permanently in 2013. The forward would spend a season at the Technique Stadium and made 25 appearances, but would be on the move again following a loan spell at Mansfield Town. A switch to Kidderminster Harriers saw him continue to play frequently, with four goals in 29 appearances prior to a brief loan stint at Boston United, which preceded a permanent move to Salford City in 2017.

He would move on loan to Chester after a year in Greater Manchester, but would soon carve out a four-year spell at the Peninsula Stadium, with Dieseruvwe opening the scoring in the 2019 National League play-off final, with Salford going on to win 3-0 against AFC Fylde and reach the EFL for the first time in the club’s history. Dieseruvwe continued this goalscoring form into the following season and wrote his name in Salford folklore with the Ammies’ first ever EFL goal, scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory over Stevenage.

A brief loan move to Oldham Athletic would precede his permanent departure from Salford, with stints at Tranmere Rovers, Grimsby Town and FC Halifax Town following. He would fine great success with the latter two, scoring twice in the Mariners’ victorious play-off campaign in 2022, before joining Halifax the following season.

His single season with the Shaymen saw him score 13 goals and win the FA Trophy, before joining Hartlepool United in May 2023, and the 29-year old would end the season with a career-best 25 goals in all competitions.

Dieseruvwe has continued his form into the current campaign, and after initially being a bright spark amongst a dismal run of form early on in the season, he has contributed to the Pools’ rise up the division with ten National League goals so far.

Last Time We Met

A Mani Dieseruvwe hat-trick condemned Sutton United to a dramatic defeat against Hartlepool United, at a rowdy Prestige Group Stadium.

Jayden Harris gave the U’s a perfect start when he turned home Josh Coley’s cutback to give the U’s an early lead, with Ashley Nadesan doubling their lead shortly before the half-hour mark when he met Eduino Vaz’s inch-perfect cross.

However, Hartlepool would produce a dramatic reaction in the second half, with Luke Charman heading Joe Grey’s cross past Arnold ten minutes after the restart, before a double from Dieservuvwe overturned the scoreline in the hosts’ favour.

Despite enjoying the better of things in the second half, the Pools would be pegged back when Lewis Simper fired home a wonderful effort late on to level the score, but wasn’t enough to steal a point as Dieservuvwe struck again moments later to complete the turnaround.

Head-to-Head

Hartlepool United 4-3 Sutton United (05/10/2024)

Hartlepool United 2-2 Sutton United (11/02/2023)

Sutton United 2-0 Hartlepool United (17/09/2022)

Hartlepool United 1-1 Sutton United (19/02/2022)

Sutton United 1-0 Hartlepool United (14/09/2021)

Sutton United 3-0 Hartlepool United (23/05/2021)

Played for Both

Simon Walton

Veteran midfielder Simon Walton spent two years at Hartlepool United midway through his career, before later turning out for the U’s for a single season towards the end of his 17-year playing career.

Born in North Yorkshire, Walton began his career as a youth player with Leeds United, being capped at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 level by England and making over 30 senior appearances for the Whites.

At home in central defence or midfield, he went on to play around 300 Football League games for Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, Stevenage, Crawley Town and Hartlepool, for whom he made over 70 appearances between 2012 and 2014, as well as spending time on loan with Ipswich Town, Crewe Alexandra, Hull City and Blackpool during that period. After playing for Garforth Town and Guiseley he joined Sutton in summer 2017 and made 33 league and cup appearances in the 2017/18 season, scoring four goals.

He moved to Billericay Town at the end of the season and subsequently had a spell as player/coach at Maidstone United before linking up with Paul Doswell again at Havant & Waterlooville, and hung up his boots in 2021.

Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin