KEV HAILS MAIN MANI AS CRUCIAL TO POOLS

FORMER European Golden Shoe winner Kevin Phillips described striker Mani Dieseruvwe as ‘massive’ for Hartlepool United after firing the winning goal to put him in the club’s history books.

The 29-year-old powered in the match-winning penalty with 18 minutes remaining to end Pools’ own run of five matches without a win – and lift them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

In finding the net, Dieseruvwe became only the fourth Hartlepool player to score 20 league goals in a season in the last 50 years, following Adam Boyd, Joe Allon and Paul Baker.

The former Halifax man, who only left the Shaymen last summer, showed no nerves in powering in the dead ball after Terrell Agyemang was tripped in the area by Tylor Golden; moments after goalkeeper

Sam Johnson dawdled on a back pass.

And former Sunderland and England striker Phillips, whose Pools side bounced back from a 7-1 defeat at Gateshead in midweek, said: “I’m delighted for Mani because he was awesome against his old club after not scoring for a few games.

“If Mani had not been in this side then we’d be in a relegation fight, that’s how important he is. It’s a staggering stat to be the only Hartlepool player to score 20 league goals in the last 19 years. It’s crazy. You need a striker to be successful and he is a great lad.”

Phillips added: “This result is why we all love football. You have tons of setbacks and all you ever ask for is a reaction, no matter what you do in life.

“There was a reaction from a group of players who were lower than a snake’s belly before. I thank the staff for doing that and lifting me too.

“The reaction I got was immense against a side who would have gone into the play-offs had they won. We deserved the win and credit to the players. I am proud of them.”

This was only Halifax’s second defeat in nine games, winning seven of those, form which has put them firmly in contention for the top seven.

But Hartlepool had the better of this game for spells and could have found the net earlier had Johnson not done well to save from Dieseruvwe.

Golden had also headed a Dieseruvwe shot off the line after the restart but after the opener the visitors could have levelled.

Halifax boss Chris Millington, whose side are only two points shy of the top seven, said: “I think we started poorly, we were second-best to a lot of things.

“I don’t think either team have really done a great deal to win the game. The officials have had a real poor performance and ultimately decided the result.”

Halifax’s best chances were thwarted by goalkeeper Pete Jameson, who denied Aaron Cosgrave, and also held a well-worked effort from sub Luke Summerfield.