Miller at the double with a new boss impressing

MICHAEL Flynn claimed he has only “scratched the surface” of his new team after Walsall recorded a comfortable win to ease their relegation fears.

Three wins in four have lifted the Saddlers eight points off the bottom two.

George Miller’s brace and a Conor Wilkinson strike also ended an eight-game unbeaten run for the visiting Pools, who replied through Omar Bogle.

Flynn said: “I was really pleased today, especially with the first-half performance. I thought we were excellent and with a little bit better decision-making, I think we put the game out of sight.

“I’ll be glad when we get a free week so we can get some work done on the training ground as we are only scratching the surface and there is more to come.

“I won’t be resting until we are mathematically safe because there is work to be done for next season.”

Walsall led after just 13 minutes as Emmanuel Osadebe ended a superb solo run by slipping in Miller, who took a touch before wrong-footing Pools keeper Ben Killip.

The Saddlers doubled their advantage in the 26th minute as Wilkinson drilled a fine finish into Killip’s bottom far corner from 20 yards.

Hartlepool improved after the break but Luke Molyneux prodded wide from Jamie Sterry’s measured ball over the top.

The visitors halved their deficit after 63 minutes with Bogle slotting in from six yards, after Carl Rushworth saved Isaac Fletcher’s deflected shot.

But Miller sealed the points by pouncing on Gary Liddle’s under-hit backpass and rounding Killip.

Hartlepool boss Graeme Lee pinpointed a poor first-half display for the ending of their form.

He said: “I feel nothing but disappointment really – the way we started the game, the firsthalf performance, the decision-making, I felt as though we invited them on too much.

“We got ourselves back in the game and momentum had swung – you could see they were on the back foot – and then we gift them a goal that lifts them again and they have the cushion.

“We’ve had a great run but today’s performance isn’t acceptable and it highlights that if we drop our standards we don’t win games.”