AFTER nine attempts, Hartlepool United finally cracked the play-offs last night.

Two goals from Adam Boyd gave them a deserved advantage over Tranmere Rovers and they go into Tuesday's second leg at Prenton Park with a healthy advantage.

Before this game, Pool had suffered against Darlington, Blackpool, Cheltenham and Bristol City.

In 720 minutes of play-off football Pool had only held an advantage for 69 minutes.

This time they led from the 32nd minute through Boyd and he doubled the lead 36 minutes later.

The striker took his seasonal tally to 29 with the double salvo and now only Joe Allon has scored more in a single season in a blue and white shirt.

Getting into the play-offs seven days ago at Bournemouth was a nail-biting affair but this was pure enjoyment for the Victoria Park faithful.

Why the ground wasn't full is anyone's guess because if Pool come through next week's game unscathed and reach Cardiff, this game - and Boyd - will go down in folklore.

Tranmere, who did the double over Pool during the normal League One season, were a disappointment as the home side took the game to them from the off.

Tranmere were rarely a threat, with their best spells coming immediately before and after half-time, and they failed to test Dimi Konstantopoulos until the 89th minute.

From Gavin Strachan's third-minute corner Boyd eventually got the ball under control to shoot and Gareth Roberts blocked his volley on the line.

There was no let up in Pool's commitment in the early stages, as they fought for everything.

Their last two home games had gone from the sublime - Sheffield Wednesday - to the ridiculous - Walsall. Thankfully this one appeared to be edging towards the former.

Matty Robson burst forward and, after being brought down by Ian Hume, the striker was cautioned for the first foul in the game.

Chris Westwood won a tackle on Theo Whitmore and Strachan clipped the ball into Jon Daly's path.

The striker was hounded by a pack of yellow shirts and his shot, under pressure, was curled well wide from 20 yards.

Pool were making all the running and a neat passing move on the left flank led to Ritchie Humphreys' dangerous cross earning Pool a second corner. The flag kick, however, came to nothing.

Hume's wayward 20-yarder was Tranmere's sole effort 21 minutes in.

Boyd, so impressive in Pool's last Friday night outing when he bagged a hat-trick against Wednesday, was turning on the style with a myriad of classy flicks and touches.

His biggest opponent was over-confidence as he twice gave the ball away.

Thunderous challenges from Micky Nelson, Humphreys and Strachan in quick succession didn't let the visitors settle and when Michael Jackson tried the same on Daly the defender was cautioned after going through the back of the striker.

From the free-kick Eifion Williams followed Jackson into the book for a foul on Ian Goodison.

But Victoria Park erupted on 32 minutes when Boyd netted the goal Pool's opening efforts deserved.

Humphreys' long throw was nodded on by Daly and Boyd turned and rifled past John Achterburg from ten yards for his 28th goal of the season.

It should have been two only four minutes later, with Boyd this time the architect.

He chased the ball to the by-line and pulled it back for Daly, who, after letting the ball run across his body, somehow smashed it into the visiting fans behind the goal from a glorious position.

Given a lifeline by the miss, Rovers finally started to get some useful possession.

Prompted by Jason McAteer, they probed the Pool defence from all angles but failed to hassle Konstantopoulos.

Paul Hall engineered an opening but lost his footing as he teed the ball up for a shot, then Mark Rankine put the ball in the net but Pool had already stopped for an offside flag.

A lunging block from Nelson on 49 minutes kept out McAteer's low shot and from the corner, Jackson's header fizzed just wide.

Hall's shot spun into Roberts' path and the wing back thumped a first-timer into the stand as Rovers started to show their attacking mettle.

Pool just couldn't keep possession and, after they started the first-half by taking the game to the visitors, this time it was Martin Scott's side under pressure.

It was becoming a little nervous for Pool as they struggled to find their game.

But they did create a decent opening on the hour as Micky Nelson foraged forward and fed Boyd, whose low pull back evaded the central defender and fell for Achterburg.

Player of the year Joel Porter came on for Daly and it paid instant dividends as the lead was doubled.

Porter held up Barron's throw then laid it into Boyd's path and the striker thumped a low, left-foot drive into the corner of the net.

The goal was a mirror image of his winning strike at Boston in the FA Cup in January but far more important.

Two goals to the good in a play-off game, this was unchartered territory and Pool set about keeping Rovers out.

Robson burst forward on a 60-yard run and after a generous free-kick was awarded in his favour, he curled the set-piece at goal only for Achterburg to make a spectacular one-handed block.

Konstantopoulos was called into action for the first and only time on 89 minutes.

Substitute Eugene Dadi wormed his way across the area and shot low at goal only for the big Greek to claw the shot away one-handed.

Result: Hartlepool United 2 Tranmere Rovers 0.

Read more about Hartlepool here.