| 2022–23 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Raj Singh | |||
| Chairman | Raj Singh | |||
| Manager | Paul Hartley (Until 18 September) Keith Curle (between 21 September – 22 February) John Askey (from 23 February) | |||
| Stadium | Victoria Park | |||
| League Two | 23rd (relegated) | |||
| FA Cup | Third round (eliminated byStoke City) | |||
| EFL Cup | First round (eliminated byBlackburn Rovers) | |||
| EFL Trophy | Group stage | |||
| Top goalscorer | League:Josh Umerah (12) All:Josh Umerah (15) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 6,812 (vs.Crawley Town) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 1,247 (vs.Everton U21) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 4,676[1] | |||
The2022–23 season was the 114th season of competitiveassociation football and 91st season inthe Football League played byHartlepool United Football Club, a professional football club based inHartlepool, County Durham, England. Their 17th-place finish in2021–22 meant it was their second successive season inEFL League Two. In addition to the league, they also competed in theFA Cup, theEFL Cup and theEFL Trophy. The 2022–23 season ran from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.
Paul Hartley was appointed as Hartlepool's manager ahead of the 2022–23 season and signed 17 new players. In September, he was sacked as manager after nine league matches. Hartley was replaced byKeith Curle the following day on an interim basis. Curle was given the role permanently in December before being sacked himself in February with the club in a precarious position. His replacementJohn Askey was not able to keep Hartlepool in the division. They were relegated back to theNational League after finishing second bottom of the 24-team2022–23 League Two. In the2022–23 FA Cup, Hartlepool were eliminated in the third round, losing toChampionship sideStoke City. They were relegated in the first round of the2022–23 EFL Cup to Championship clubBlackburn Rovers. Hartlepool were eliminated in the group stages of the2022–23 EFL Trophy.
The2022–23 season wasHartlepool's 91stseason playing inthe Football League. It was the club's second consecutive season inEFL League Two, the fourth tier of theEnglish football league system since Hartlepool won the2021 National League play-off final. In the2021–22 season, Hartlepool finished in 17th place, sixteen points clear of relegation.[2] Simultaneously, Hartlepool managed to maintain two good cup runs. Hartlepool reached a joint record fourth round of theFA Cup after defeatingChampionship sideBlackpool before losing 2–0 toPremier League sideCrystal Palace.[3] Hartlepool also reached the semi-finals of theEFL Trophy before losing a penalty-shootout toRotherham United.[4] However, following the Rotherham match, Hartlepool would go on a bad run of form. Hartlepool won one of eleven games, resulting in the sacking ofGraeme Lee before the final match of the season.[5] In June 2022,Cove Rangers managerPaul Hartley was appointed as his replacement with Gordon Young as his assistant.[6]
The summer transfer window saw a significant turnover in the Hartlepool squad. New manager Paul Hartley signed 17 new players, many of whom had played in the lower Scottish divisions including:Euan Murray,Brody Paterson,Jake Hastie,Jack Hamilton,Mouhamed Niang,Reghan Tumilty andKyle Letheren.[7] On 2 July, Pools' pre-season fixture withSt Mirren was cancelled with the club saying: "we felt that it was more beneficial to spend an uninterrupted week of training at Maiden Castle focusing on building the squad and integrating new players into the pre-season camp without the added fixture in Scotland".[8]
In theFourFourTwo League Two preview, Hartlepool were predicted a 23rd-place finish, with writer Gabriel Sutton saying "Paul Hartley's Hartlepool have a Scottish-themed recruitment policy as they seek safety. The new man won two promotions in three years managing Cove Rangers, but whether his numerous imports from north of the border will thrive remains to be seen."[9] Equally,The Guardian classified Hartlepool as relegation candidates.[10] Writing inThe Sportsman, Simon Lillicrap predicted a 17th-place finish for Hartlepool, adding that "losing two key men to teams in the same division is hardly ideal preparation for a new campaign, while a lack of squad depth meant they even had to cancel a pre-season friendly. But things have improved since then and Paul Hartley has brought in Jake Hastie and Jack Hamilton, which should be enough to keep them comfortably away from danger."[11]
Pools announced their first pre-season friendly withBlackburn Rovers visitingVictoria Park on 20 July.[12] A day later, the club announced their opening two matches for the pre-season schedule, againstBillingham Synthonia andMarske United.[13] A fixture withLincoln City was revealed on 16 May.[14] A sixth pre-season fixture, againstSunderland was confirmed on 8 June.[15] Another addition to the pre-season schedule was confirmed a day later, againstSt Mirren.[16]
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 June 2022 | Hibernian | N[a] | L | 2–0 | 200 | [17] | |
| 5 July 2022 | St Mirren | A | N/A[b] | - | [8] | ||
| 9 July 2022 | Billingham Synthonia | A | W | 6–0 | Lacey 6',Hastie 20',Carver 32', 34',Crawford 40',Grey 66' | [18] | |
| 12 July 2022 | Marske United | A | W | 3–0 | Grey 59',Niang 69',Tumilty 74' | 807 | [19] |
| 16 July 2022 | Lincoln City | H | D | 1–1 | Crawford 34' | 1,358 | [20] |
| 20 July 2022 | Blackburn Rovers | H | L | 0–1 | 1,512 | [21] | |
| 25 July 2022 | Sunderland | H | D | 1–1 | Batth (O.G.) 3' | 4,785 | [22] |
The 2022–23 campaign started with an away trip toWalsall.[23] Hartley handed out eight debuts for the opening match, although he was only able to name six substitutes due to several injuries.[24][23] Hartlepool would fall to a 4–0 defeat, their heaviest opening day defeat in 30 years.[23]
On 18 September, after a 2–0 defeat toSutton United, Hartley was relieved of his duties.[25][26] Hartlepool had won none of their first nine League Two matches, leaving them 23rd in the table.[25]The Northern Echo reported that the sacking was due to a combination of poor results and tensions between Hartley and other club staff.[25]
On the same day as Hartley was sacked,Keith Curle was named as Hartlepool's interim manager.[27][28] Hartlepool earned their first league win of the season at the 12th attempt, defeatingDoncaster Rovers 2–1.[29] This ended a winless streak of 21 league games dating back to March 2022 during the previous season.[29] On 3 December, Curle signed a new contract until the end of the 2023–24 season.[30] Later that day, Hartlepool would lose 5–0 at home toStockport County, led by former Hartlepool bossDave Challinor.[31] On 22 February, Curle was sacked as Hartlepool manager following a late defeat toNewport County which had left Pools in 22nd-place by one point but having played four more matches thanCrawley Town.[32] Curle won eight out of 29 matches during his spell in charge.[32]
On 23 February, formerYork City bossJohn Askey was named as Curle's replacement.[33][34] Form under Askey improved, with Hartlepool remaining unbeaten in his opening eight fixtures.[35] With Hartlepool remaining within touching distance of safety, Pools faced direct relegation rivalsCrawley Town at home in the third last match of the season.[36] A 2–0 home defeat left Hartlepool on the brink of relegation back to theNational League.[36] This relegation was confirmed in the following match, despite a 3–1 home victory againstBarrow.[37] Following this relegation,BBC Sport highlighted the high turnover of the first-team squad as a contributor to the relegation with 22 signings and 10 loan players added to the squad from June 2022 until February 2023.[37] Hartlepool were relegated with the worst defence in the division, having conceded 78 goals during the League Two season.[38]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Harrogate Town | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 59 | 68 | −9 | 52 | |
| 20 | Colchester United | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 44 | 51 | −7 | 49 | |
| 21 | AFC Wimbledon | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 48 | 60 | −12 | 48 | |
| 22 | Crawley Town | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 48 | 71 | −23 | 46 | |
| 23 | Hartlepool United(R) | 46 | 9 | 16 | 21 | 52 | 78 | −26 | 43 | Relegation toNational League |
| 24 | Rochdale(R) | 46 | 9 | 11 | 26 | 46 | 70 | −24 | 38 |
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 46 | 9 | 16 | 21 | 52 | 78 | −26 | 43 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 27 | 36 | −9 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 25 | 42 | −17 |
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A |
| Result | L | D | L | D | L | L | D | D | L | D | D | W | L | L | L | L | W | L | L | L | W | W | L | D | L | W | L | L | W | D | L | D | L | D | D | D | D | D | W | W | D | L | L | L | W | D |
| Position | 24 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
On 23 June, the league fixtures were announced.[40] Hartlepool's away fixture againstMansfield Town was moved from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2022.[41] Following thedeath of Queen Elizabeth II, matches across the UK were postponed as a mark of respect.[42] With Hartlepool due to play at home toDoncaster Rovers on 10 September 2022, the match was postponed and rearranged for 4 October 2022.[43] Hartlepool's planned away fixture atCrawley Town for 10 December 2022 was rearranged for 9 December 2022 at 19:45 to avoid potential clashes withEngland matches during the2022 FIFA World Cup.[44] Hartlepool's planned away fixture forBradford City on 18 March 2023 was moved forward from 15:00 to 13:00.[45] Hartlepool's scheduled home fixture on 17 December 2022 at home toNewport County was postponed due to a frozen pitch. The match was subsequently rearranged for 21 February 2023.[46] Due to theCoronation of Charles III and Camilla, all Football League final fixtures were moved. Therefore, League Two matches were moved to 8 May 2023 at 12:30 from 6 May 2023.[47]
| 30 July 20221 | Walsall | 4–0 | Hartlepool United | Bescot |
| 15:00BST | Comley 21'Johnson 27',58',73' | Report | Stadium:Bescot Stadium Attendance: 5,754 (572 away) Referee: Lee Swabey |
| 6 August 20222 | Hartlepool United | 0–0 | AFC Wimbledon | Hartlepool |
| 15:00BST | Report | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,543 (332 away) Referee: Bobby Madden |
| 13 August 20223 | Northampton Town | 2–1 | Hartlepool United | Northampton |
| 15:00BST | Magloire 31' Appéré 57' | Report | Umerah 45' | Stadium:Sixfields Stadium Attendance: 4,828 (205 away) Referee: Sunny Sukhvir Gill |
| 16 August 20224 | Hartlepool United | 0–0 | Tranmere Rovers | Hartlepool |
| 19:45BST | Report | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,072 (263 away) Referee: Thomas Kirk |
| 20 August 20225 | Hartlepool United | 1–3 | Bradford City | Hartlepool |
| 13:00BST | Ferguson 17' | Report | Banks 6' Cook 65',90' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 5,103 (704 away) Referee: Scott Oldham |
| 27 August 20226 | Leyton Orient | 4–2 | Hartlepool United | Leyton |
| 15:00BST | Moncur 4' (pen.) Kelman 38'Smyth 48'Sotiriou 74' | Report | McDonald 32' Umerah 69' (pen.) | Stadium:Breyer Group Stadium Attendance: 6,634 (249 away) Referee: Declan Bourne |
| 3 September 20227 | Colchester United | 1–1 | Hartlepool United | Colchester |
| 15:00BST | Lubala 90+4' | Report | McDonald 29' | Stadium:Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 2,983 (178 away) Referee: Thomas Parsons |
| 13 September 20228 | Hartlepool United | 1–1 | Crewe Alexandra | Hartlepool |
| 19:45BST | Umerah 33' (pen.) | Report | Agyei 86' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,002 (116 away) Referee: Martin Coy |
| 17 September 20229 | Sutton United | 2–0 | Hartlepool United | Sutton |
| 15:00BST | Randall 53' Beautyman 66' | Report | Stadium:Gander Green Lane Attendance: 2,766 (162 away) Referee: Will Finnie |
| 24 September 202210 | Hartlepool United | 0–0 | Gillingham | Hartlepool |
| 15:00BST | Report | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,298 (223 away) Referee: Neil Hair |
| 30 September 202211 | Mansfield Town | 2–2 | Hartlepool United | Mansfield |
| 19:45BST | Lapslie 51' Harbottle 59' | Report | Umerah 62',89' | Stadium:One Call Stadium Attendance: 6,891 (302 away) Referee: Craig Hicks |
| 4 October 202212 | Hartlepool United | 2–1 | Doncaster Rovers | Hartlepool |
| 19:45BST | Umerah 38' McDonald 86' | Report | Faulkner 62' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,296 (600 away) Referee: Andy Haines |
| Note: Fixture was postponed as a mark of respect following the passing ofQueen Elizabeth II.[42] The match was moved from 10 September 2022 to 4 October 2022.[43] | ||||
| 8 October 202213 | Hartlepool United | 1–3 | Carlisle United | Hartlepool |
| 15:00BST | Lacey 43' | Report | Moxon 53' Patrick 75',82' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 5,525 (691 away) Referee: Tom Reeves |
| 15 October 202214 | Harrogate Town | 2–1 | Hartlepool United | Harrogate |
| 12:30BST | Pattison 25' Muldoon 43' | Report | Umerah 85' | Stadium:Wetherby Road Attendance: 2,075 Referee: Andrew Kitchen |
| 22 October 202215 | Swindon Town | 2–1 | Hartlepool United | Swindon |
| 15:00BST | Williams 12' Jephcott 17' | Report | Oduor 28' | Stadium:County Ground Attendance: 8,527 (123 away) Referee: Darren Drysdale |
| 25 October 202216 | Hartlepool United | 0–2 | Salford City | Hartlepool |
| 19:45BST | Report | Leak 26' Galbraith 90' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 3,707 Referee: Darren Handley |
| 29 October 202217 | Hartlepool United | 2–1 | Grimsby Town | Hartlepool |
| 15:00BST | Lacey 78' Maher 82' (o.g.) | Report | Holohan 6' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,600 (716 away) Referee: Samuel Barrott |
| 12 November 202218 | Stevenage | 1–0 | Hartlepool United | Stevenage |
| 15:00 | Rose 79' | Report | Stadium:Broadhall Way Attendance: 3,626 (276 away) Referee: Carl Boyeson |
| 19 November 202219 | Barrow | 3–1 | Hartlepool United | Barrow-in-Furness |
| 15:00 | Gordon 4' Whitfield 8'Waters 21' | Report | Missilou 77' | Stadium:Holker Street Attendance: 3,284 (345 away) Referee: Leigh Doughty |
| 3 December 202220 | Hartlepool United | 0–5 | Stockport County | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Report | Wootton 16',20' Madden 61'Camps 67'Collar 85' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 5,079 (685 away) Referee: Ben Toner |
| 9 December 202221 | Crawley Town | 0–2 | Hartlepool United | Crawley |
| 19:45 | Report | Menayese 64' Johnson 81' (o.g.) | Stadium:Broadfield Stadium Attendance: 1,955 (128 away) Referee: Tom Nield |
| 26 December 202222 | Rochdale | 1–2 | Hartlepool United | Rochdale |
| 15:00 | Henderson 60' | Report | Menayese 39' Cooke 80' | Stadium:Spotland Stadium Attendance: 3,243 (680 away) Referee: Thomas Kirk |
| 29 December 202223 | Hartlepool United | 1–2 | Mansfield Town | Hartlepool |
| 19:45 | Hamilton 19' | Report | Oates 47' Hawkins 60' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,599 Referee: Martin Coy |
| 1 January 202324 | Hartlepool United | 3–3 | Harrogate Town | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Umerah 45' Sylla 46'Shelton 63' | Report | Pattison 4' Folarin 49'Thomson 73' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,566 (180 away) Referee: Marc Edwards |
| 14 January 202325 | Gillingham | 2–0 | Hartlepool United | Gillingham |
| 15:00 | Nichols 40' Jefferies 59' | Report | Stadium:Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 6,003 (255 away) Referee: Robert Lewis |
| 21 January 202326 | Hartlepool United | 2–0 | Rochdale | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Umerah 54' Hamilton 64' | Report | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,353 (285 away) Referee: Marc Edwards |
| 24 January 202327 | Carlisle United | 3–1 | Hartlepool United | Carlisle |
| 19:45 | Feeney 6' Dennis 26',66' | Report | Umerah 28' | Stadium:Brunton Park Attendance: 5,172 (342 away) Referee: Samuel Barrott |
| 28 January 202328 | Hartlepool United | 1–2 | Colchester United | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Sterry 82' | Report | Kelleher 5' Sterry 87' (o.g.) | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,105 Referee: Simon Mather |
| 4 February 202329 | Doncaster Rovers | 0–1 | Hartlepool United | Doncaster |
| 15:00 | Report | Dodds 88' | Stadium:Eco-Power Stadium Attendance: 7,002 (1,032 away) Referee: Sam Allison |
| 11 February 202330 | Hartlepool United | 2–2 | Sutton United | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Kemp 43' Dodds 45' | Report | Ajiboye 18' Angol 31' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,385 (98 away) Referee: Andy Haines |
| 14 February 202331 | Crewe Alexandra | 2–0 | Hartlepool United | Crewe |
| 19:45 | Ainley 31' Finnigan 39' | Report | Stadium:Gresty Road Attendance: 3,110 (107 away) Referee: Neil Hair |
| 18 February 202332 | AFC Wimbledon | 2–2 | Hartlepool United | Merton |
| 15:00 | Al-Hamadi 31' Jaiyesimi 53' | Report | Kemp 71',90' | Stadium:Plough Lane Attendance: 7,495 (467 away) Referee: Craig Hicks |
| 21 February 202333 | Hartlepool United | 0–1 | Newport County | Hartlepool |
| 19:45 | Report | Demetriou 90' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 3,908 (122 away) Referee: Ben Speedie |
| 25 February 202334 | Hartlepool United | 3–3 | Walsall | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Kemp 56' (pen.),pen.' Jennings 90' | Report | Knowles 33' Hutchinson 49'Stevens 72' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,418 (340 away) Referee: Darren Drysdale |
| 4 March 202335 | Tranmere Rovers | 1–1 | Hartlepool United | Birkenhead |
| 15:00 | Hawkes 68' (pen.) | Report | Cooke 44' | Stadium:Prenton Park Attendance: 6,320 (418 away) Referee: James Oldham |
| 11 March 202336 | Hartlepool United | 1–1 | Northampton Town | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Umerah 37' | Report | Hoskins 81' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 5,021 (363 away) Referee: Thomas Kirk |
| 18 March 202337 | Bradford City | 2–2 | Hartlepool United | Bradford |
| 13:00 | Cook 49',78' | Report | Cooke 33' Kemp 71' | Stadium:Valley Parade Attendance: 18,137 (1,045 away) Referee: Declan Bourne |
| 25 March 202338 | Hartlepool United | 1–1 | Leyton Orient | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Jennings 81' | Report | Smyth 48' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 5,012 (502 away) Referee: Edward Duckworth |
| 1 April 202339 | Hartlepool United | 2–1 | Swindon Town | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Jennings 88' Finney 90' | Report | Hepburn-Murphy 4' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,815 (433 away) Referee: Carl Boyeson |
| 7 April 202340 | Grimsby Town | 1–4 | Hartlepool United | Cleethorpes |
| 15:00 | Efete 54' | Report | Kemp 19',68' (pen.) Umerah 76' | Stadium:Blundell Park Attendance: 7,425 (1,182 away) Referee: Anthony Backhouse |
| 10 April 202341 | Hartlepool United | 1–1 | Stevenage | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Featherstone 46' | Report | Rose 25' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 5,687 (171 away) Referee: Paul Howard |
| 15 April 202342 | Newport County | 2–0 | Hartlepool United | Newport |
| 15:00 | Bogle 17' Demetriou 44' | Report | Stadium:Rodney Parade Attendance: 4,451 (269 away) Referee: Darren Handley |
| 18 April 202343 | Salford City | 2–0 | Hartlepool United | Salford |
| 19:45 | Smith 14' Barry 28' | Report | Stadium:Peninsula Stadium Attendance: 2,139 (500 away) Referee: Ollie Yates |
| 22 April 202344 | Hartlepool United | 0–2 | Crawley Town | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Report | Telford 40',66' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 6,812 (259 away) Referee: Samuel Barrott |
| 29 April 202345 | Hartlepool United | 3–1 | Barrow | Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Hamilton 42' Sterry 68'Jennings 90' | Report | Garner 21' | Stadium:Victoria Park Attendance: 4,551 (338 away) Referee: Simon Mather |
| 8 May 202346 | Stockport County | 1–1 | Hartlepool United | Stockport |
| 12:30 | Camps 39' (pen.) | Report | Cooke 62' | Stadium:Edgeley Park Attendance: 10,118 Referee: Tom Reeves |
On 19 October 2022, Hartlepool were drawn away toNational League sideSolihull Moors.[48] In the second round they facedHarrogate Town at home.[49] A third round tie againstStoke City at home was next for the Pools.[50]
| 5 November 20221 | Solihull Moors | 2–2 | Hartlepool United | Damson Park,Solihull |
| 15:00 | Dallas 51' Sbarra 84' | Report | Umerah 18' Hamilton 69' | Attendance: 1,658 Referee: Paul Howard |
| 15 November 2022Replay | Hartlepool United | 1–1 (4–3p) | Solihull Moors | Victoria Park,Hartlepool |
| 19:45 | Tumilty 90' | Report | Barnett 8' | Attendance: 2,170 (110 away) Referee: Seb Stockbridge |
| Penalties | ||||
Featherstone Ferguson  Robinson Hastie Grey | Storer Kelly Coker Jones Reid | |||
| 26 November 20222 | Hartlepool United | 3–1 | Harrogate Town | Victoria Park,Hartlepool |
| 15:00 | Cooke 41' Umerah 45' (pen.),71' | Report | Coley 73' | Attendance: 2,772 (294 away) Referee: Sam Purkiss |
| 8 January 20233 | Hartlepool United | 0–3 | Stoke City | Victoria Park,Hartlepool |
| 14:00GMT | Report | Murray 16' (o.g.) Brown 43'Menayese 48' (o.g.) | Attendance: 4,340 (585 away) Referee: Ben Toner |
On 23 June 2022, Hartlepool were drawn away toChampionship sideBlackburn Rovers.[51] On 29 June 2022, the final date was finalised for the Blackburn fixture.[52]
| 10 August 20221 | Blackburn Rovers | 4–0 | Hartlepool United | Ewood Park,Blackburn |
| 19:45 | Wharton 32' Dack 47'Dolan 51'Markanday 73' | Report | Attendance: 6,844 (456 away) Referee: James Bell |
On 23 June, the group stage draw was finalised.[53]
| Pos | Div | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ACA | Everton U21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 6 | Advance toRound 2 |
| 2 | L1 | Morecambe | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | L2 | Harrogate Town | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | |
| 4 | L2 | Hartlepool United | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 4 |
| 30 August 2022Group stage | Hartlepool United | 2–0 | Harrogate Town | Victoria Park,Hartlepool |
| 19:00BST | Ndjoli 17',33' | Report | Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Anthony Backhouse |
| 20 September 2022Group stage | Morecambe | 0–0 (4–2p) | Hartlepool United | Mazuma Stadium,Morecambe |
| 19:00BST | Report | Attendance: 934 (71 away) Referee: Martin Woods | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| Weir Stockton Cooney Love | Murray Ferguson Shelton Crawford | |||
| 18 October 2022Group stage | Hartlepool United | 0–6 | Everton U21 | Victoria Park,Hartlepool |
| 19:00BST | Report | Cannon 9',45' Hunt 20'Mills 28',53'Whitaker 71' | Attendance: 1,247 (101 away) Referee: Adam Herczeg |
Source:[54]
Source:[54]
| Rank | Name | League Two | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Umerah | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | Dan Kemp | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Callum Cooke | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Jack Hamilton | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Connor Jennings | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 5 | Wes McDonald | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Daniel Dodds | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Alex Lacey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Rollin Menayese | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Mikael Ndjoli | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Jamie Sterry | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 7 | Nicky Featherstone | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| David Ferguson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Oliver Finney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Christopher Missilou | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Clarke Oduor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Mark Shelton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Mohamed Sylla | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Reghan Tumilty | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rank | Name | League Two | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Killip | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 | Jakub Stolarczyk | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Date Incurred | Name | Games Missed | Reason | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 September 2022 | Tom Crawford | 1 |  | [55] |
| 14 February 2023 | Jamie Sterry | 3 |  (vs.Crewe Alexandra) |
| Date | Position | Player | From | End date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 July 2022 | DF | Rollin Menayese | Walsall | End of season | [77] |
| 20 July 2022 | FW | Jack Hamilton | Livingston | End of season | [78] |
| 28 July 2022 | MF | Ellis Taylor | Sunderland | 1 January 2023[a] | [79][80] |
| 1 September 2022 | MF | Clarke Oduor | Barnsley | 1 January 2023[b] | [81][82] |
| 26 November 2022 | GK | Alex Cairns | Fleetwood Town | 3 December 2022 | [83] |
| 5 January 2023 | MF | Matthew Dolan | Newport County | End of season | [84] |
| 23 January 2023 | GK | Jakub Stolarczyk | Leicester City | End of season | [85] |
| 27 January 2023 | MF | Tayt Trusty | Blackpool | End of season | [86] |
| 31 January 2023 | MF | Dan Kemp | Milton Keynes Dons | End of season | [87] |
| 31 January 2023 | DF | Taylor Foran | Arsenal | End of season | [88] |
| Date | Position | Player | To | End date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2022 | GK | Patrick Boyes | Pontefract Collieries | 18 November 2022[a] | [89][90] |
| 18 November 2022 | GK | Patrick Boyes | Stockton Town | 26 December 2022 | [90] |
| 9 January 2023 | DF | Brody Paterson | Cove Rangers | End of season | [91] |
| 27 January 2023 | GK | Patrick Boyes | Liversedge | 25 March 2023[b] | [92] |
| 16 March 2023 | FW | Mikael Ndjoli | Radcliffe | End of season | [93] |
| 17 March 2023 | FW | Leon Clarke | Rushall Olympic | End of season | [94] |
| Date | Position | Name | To | Fee | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 June 2022 | MF | Martin Smith | South Shields | Free | [95][96] |
| 6 June 2022 | DF | Gary Liddle | South Shields | Free | [97][98] |
| 21 June 2022 | MF | Luke Molyneux | Doncaster Rovers | Free | [99] |
| 27 June 2022 | DF | Timi Odusina | Bradford City | Undisclosed | [100] |
| 30 June 2022 | FW | Omar Bogle | Newport County | Undisclosed | [101] |
| 1 July 2022 | DF | Neill Byrne | Tranmere Rovers | Undisclosed | [102] |
| 2 July 2022 | DF | Zaine Francis-Angol | Oldham Athletic | Free | [95][103] |
| 8 July 2022 | MF | Josh MacDonald | Marske United | Free | [95][104] |
| 20 July 2022 | FW | Olufela Olomola | Wealdstone | Free | [95][105] |
| 29 July 2022 | DF | Reagan Ogle | Scunthorpe United | Free | [106] |
| 2 August 2022 | FW | Marcus Carver | Scunthorpe United | Undisclosed | [107] |
| 20 January 2023 | MF | Christopher Missilou | Released | [108] | |
| 20 January 2023 | MF | Mark Shelton | Oldham Athletic | Undisclosed | [109] |
| 7 February 2023 | DF | Reghan Tumilty | Hamilton Academical | Free | [110] |
| 2 March 2023 | FW | Theo Robinson | Brackley Town | Free | [111] |
