Pools late show earns fresh hope

Hartlepool United have been the victims of late result-changing goals so often that when they manage to achieve it themselves, and at the same time climb off the foot of the League One table, they have every right to feel satisfied.

Trailing 1-0 at home to Leyton Orient with two minutes of normal time left, Pools turned the game on its head with an equalizer followed by a dramatic added-time winner.

Boss John Hughes has every right to feel pleased as Pools extended their unbeaten run to five games – who would have bet on that before the turn of the year? Hughes has managed the impossible by stopping thr rot - now all he needs is a miracle.

“We know the task in front of us and we won't get carried away but I've said to the players to go and enjoy the sweet taste of victory and then it's back to work,” Hughes told the club website.

"I felt we deserved something out of the match so all credit to the guys for the spirit they showed and seeing Victoria Park like that is what it's all about.

"I know what it means to this community and the supporters so now they can go away and maybe enjoy an extra pint and talk at work about us giving ourselves a fighting chance.

"I'm really pleased for Peter Hartley to score because I think him and Sam Collins at the back have been coming in to form so that was the icing on the cake.

"And Luke's was a fantastic strike and it was so nice to see that fly in the back of the net - I think I got a bit carried away when we scored.”

Martin Rowlands had given Orient the lead with an eighth minute penalty after  Neil Austin handball and the Londoner looked set to win as the coped well with the home team’s fightback attempts.

But Peter Hartley headed Pools level from an Evan Horwood corner and on 94 minutes they won as Luke James scored well after sub Steve Howard headed down another Horwood cross.

Hughes added: "We have some big games coming up and we want to look forward to them but fair play to the lads because the effort and commitment today was second to none."

Pools are away to Scunthorpe next weekend, followed by a home game against Crewe three days later.

Having climbed a point above Portsmouth, they are now only three points behind third bottom Bury and six behind fourth-bottom Oldham. The safety of fifth bottom place is now just eight points away – it’s not looking as impossible as it used to.