Misery for the Dragons as they ship four goals and also have Lawlor sent-off

FOUR goals conceded and a third red card of the season saw Wrexham lurch to yet another miserable away day in the National League.

But there is a bigger worry after talisman striker JJ Hooper was forced off with an injury inside the opening 20 minutes, while they will also now be without Jake Lawlor for the next four matches after the centre-half was shown a straight red card for the second time this season after a poor challenge on Jason Kennedy.

Wrexham did open the scoring in what was a lacklustre first half by comparison to what was to follow after the interval, Akil Wright’s deflected shot wrong footing Ben Killip, before an unmarked Gime Toure headed home within five minutes.

But a virtual meltdown from the Dragons inside the opening 15 minutes of the restart saw Pools claim their second win of the season, Liam Noble slotting home from the spot and adding a third before Bobby Grant pulled one back, also from the spot.

However, a second of the afternoon for Toure restored the home side’s two goal cushion on the hour mark, while the game was all but put beyond the Dragons five minutes later following Lawlor’s indiscretion.

Lawlor had returned after injury and suspension saw him sidelined for matches against Barnet and Notts County, while Mark Carrington started at left-back with Adam Barton and Wright both enjoying their first starts in the midfield.

Grant came straight back into the side after serving his threematch ban with Ben Tollitt also given a first start after rejoining the Dragons on-loan on Friday.

Wrexham had fashioned little by way of any chances in the opening exchanges, and were dealt a blow as Hooper was forced to come off with a muscle strain and replaced by Leighton McIntosh, the striker staying down after whipping over a low cross that was narrowly too far ahead of Grant.

Redmond was well over the top with a volley after McIntosh saw an effort blocked on the edge of the box by Fraser Kerr, while the former should have done better with his finish after Wrexham sparked a move from deep in their own half, Barton winning the ball and spreading play, Tollitt, Grant and Carrington all combining to set Redmond free, his shot all too easy for Killip.

Wrexham were starting to find a little rhythm to their play, and were moving the ball with more pace, something Hughes had bemoaned in the last two performances. And they took a lead on 38 minutes, albeit via a major deflection as Wright’s effort took a helpful ricochet off a Pool defender to wrong foot Killip and find the opposite corner, all coming following an advantage played by referee Richardson after Tollitt was felled in the build up.

But Wrexham’s lead was to last less than five minutes, as first Dibble did well to tip a curling Noble effort away for a corner, from which Kennedy rose highest to flick goalward, with a completely unmarked Toure given the freedom of the Dragons six yard box to divert home past Dibble.

Hartlepool needed just four minutes to take the lead after the break, albeit under controversial circumstances. Aaron Cunningham intercepted a Wright pass and drove forward, his shot parried by Dibble only as far as Toure who headed back into the danger area, Pearson initially doing well to get a block on Noble’s effort, before somewhat dubiously judged to have felled the Pools midfielder, who stepped up to send Dibble the wrong way from the spot.

And it got even worse for the visitors as Noble added his second just three minutes later, the ball kindly falling to him on the edge of the box after riding the challenge of Wright and Barton to hammer an unstoppable effort in to the bottom corner.

Wrexham desperately needed a quick response and they were gifted a way back into the contest 10 minutes into an incredible second half start, referee Richardson equally generous in pointing to the spot after indicating a tug on Lawlor’s shirt as he reached a corner, Grant stepping up to slot home past Killip.

But in what was an incredible opening 15 minutes of the second half Pools added a fourth goal as Noble recycled the ball back into the danger area and Toure was on hand to climb above his marker and head home.

And it was to get worse for the Dragons as for the third time in seven games this term they finished with 10-men, Lawlor felling Kennedy and referee Richardson having no second thought but to brandish a straight red card.

Pearson went close to giving Wrexham a lifeline, first seeing his goalbound effort blocked on the line by two Pools defenders, and then seconds later watching Killip acrobatically turn his curling effort over the top.

Luke James almost added a fifth for the home side as he glanced a header just wide, before Barton, who had moved to centre-half, was forced to scramble a cross away from the Pool’s forward ahead of Toure who would have had a simple tap in for his hattrick.

Kitching forced Dibble into a smart save, the keeper then fumbling a long range effort from Gus Mafuta, but able to gather at the second attempt, while he also did well to hold a James shot late on before Nicky Featherstone fired straight at the keeper in injury time.