Pools end losing run in top style

Mick Wadsworth got the positive response he had called for as Hartlepool United ended their three-game losing streak with a 3-2 win at Chesterfield that retrurned them to seventh place in League One.

It was their fourth away win of the season, thanks to two goals from the irrepressible James Poole and one from Paul Murray as Pools returned to a 4-4-2 formation.

Chesterfield had gone ahead with a Leon Clarke shot scored from an angle, but Murray levelled with a header from all of 25 yards as home keeper Greg Fleming lost his way.

And a minute later Poole earned the lead with the latest in a series of spectacular goals he has scored, rifling in from a healthy distance.

Early in the second half, Poole made it three with a header for his fifth goal of the season, and although home defender Dean Holden narrowed the gap later, Pools held on for their win without too many alarms.

“We’ve had a couple of poor performance, “Wadsworth told the club website. “And we needed to get back to winning ways.

“It was tough because they are desperate, but I thought our boys were fantastic today.

“James Poole has set his standards and he has to keep to it. We all know he can crack a football and he’s scored two cracking goals today.

“Their second goal made the game tight and changed the mentality of the players, but we handled it well.”

Hopefully they will handle things just as well on Tuesday night, when Tranmere visit the Vic, followed next Saturday by another home game against leaders Charlton.

Neither game will be easy – Tranmere are level on points with Pools on 22 – but it’s the perfect time for Pools to get their home record in order after recent disappointments.