SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR HOT POOLS!
HARTLEPOOL United made it a magnificent seven wins in a row at Victoria Park, with a last-gasp winner over Yeovil.
Not since 2007 have Pools enjoyed such a run of success at home. Two more wins and they will have equalled the run of Danny Wilson’s side.
They had to come from behind to win this one, Tom Knowles blasting the in-form Glovers ahead from distance.
But Luke Armstrong levelled and Gavan Holohan won it at the death to send the visitors off on a miserable long road trip home.
Pools chief Dave Challinor said: “It’s the best feeling as a manager to get a 90th minute winner. The elation and feeling would be great with 4,000 in here! It’s great to win in that manner.
“This win keeps us in touch at the top and we will be judged over 40-odd games, but it’s tight in there and results today have tightened it up. Winning is a great feeling and it means we keep the pressure on other teams.
“It’s nice to turn around our home form into something positive and we have to make this a tough place to come for others.”
Gary Liddle got a firm block in to deny Rhys Murphy inside the area, and the loose ball fell to the lively Josh Neufville. His shot was going to the far side of the goal, before Ben Killip made a fine one-handed save to push the ball wide.
It took just 16 seconds of the second half for Pools to get their first shot on target, as Oates drove a low effort into keeper Adam Smith.
Oates should have headed Pools in front on 50 minutes when he met a perfect cross by Tom White but planted the ball wide. And three minutes later, the Glovers led.
A long goal kick found its way to Knowles and the ball sat up nicely for the midfielder to rifle in a rising shot from 30 yards.
Pools hit back with plenty of openings, but big defender Max Hunt got in the way of almost everything.
But when the ball was blocked in the six-yard area, up popped Armstrong to knock home his 8th goal in 11 games since moving on loan from Salford.
A minute later he was denied a second when Albi Skendi headed his angled shot off the line.
But there was no denying Pools on 90 minutes.
Substitute Joe Grey kept the ball alive after it seemed to have ran beyond him, but the teenager kept it in play and showed immense composure to pick out Holohan to tap in.
Yeovil boss Darren Sarrl was left frustrated. He said: “It’s not the fact they scored the winner from our freekick, it’s the decisions made away from home with minutes to go against a side in the play-offs for the majority of the season who we pretty much dominated.
“The decisions were made by experienced players. We can understand it with a young player. No excuses.”
STAR MAN: Lewis Cass (H’pool)
ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★
REFEREE: David Richardson