CHELTENHAM TOWN 1 HARTLEPOOL UNITED 0 A final-day showdown will decide fate of Pool

Jabo Ibehre flies in strongly to fire at goal in the first half of Carlisle United’s 2-1 victory over Newport County ONE game to go and Pools are clinging on to their Football League future.

Defeat at Cheltenham could have relegated them - but Carlisle’s victory over Newport means a last-day showdown.

Pools take on Doncaster and have to beat them at home and hope the South Wales side do not get the better of Notts County on their own patch.

Victory for Cheltenham made them safe from the threat of the drop.

At half-time, with Pools losing and Newport winning, Pools were down.

That they live to fight another day might only be prolonging the agony but it means they still have hope.

Backed by 703 fans – the majority of them dressed as French mime artists – Pools went down fighting.

They showed far more spirit and effort than they had under former boss Dave Jones of late.

After a disastrous spell in charge, the experienced boss was dumped by the club last weekend following the defeat by Barnet.

Centre-half Matthew Bates, the former Middlesbrough skipper, was placed in temporary charge, helped by Stuart Parnaby, Billy Paynter and club physio Ian Gallagher.

Bates opted to stay on the bench, entrusting his players in a response.

He certainly received one and if Pools had played like this under Jones they would not be in this mess.

Stifled and regimented under their former manager, Pools played with much more freedom and the atmosphere around the squad has been much improved.

It reflected in their performance.

After falling behind, Pools could have crumbled like they have of late too often.

Instead they responded well, took the game to the home side - and can count themselves unlucky not to win.

The only goal came when Pools lost possession, winger Harry Pell lifted a high cross into the area and striker Danny Wright had space to nod in from close range.

The response was immedi- ate as Lewis Hawkins, back in the side after being left out of late, met a Michael Woods cross and his header was well tipped over.

Goalkeeper Scott Brown was also busy when Padraig Amond nipped in to intercept a short back pass and his angled finish was kept out by the goalkeeper’s legs.

Pools had a second-half penalty call for handball rejected and they looked set for a leveller when Carl Magnay’s cross from the left was met by Amond and the long legs of defender Emmanual Onariase hooked it off the line.

Pools introduced prolific youth team striker Connor Simpson for his debut and he almost scored with his first touch when he turned a closerange effort at goal - only for Brown to keep it out.

Bates said: “Sometimes you don’t get what you deserve.

“We knew what we were going to get from them, we worked on it all week and we all knew our jobs.

“It is very disappointing to come away like that with nothing.

“There was a difference in how we played, how we reacted. I think the chairman made the change for a reaction and he got one today.

“On another day we win the game, over a longer period of time with that attitude we are fine. They are two games, two huge games.

“There were chances, a lot more than of late that is for sure. It was not for the lack of trying or a lack of preparation.

“We cannot affect everything and we can only affect what we do and we did all we could do.”