IF Neale Cooper was never to face Brentford again, it would be a day too soon.

In five games as Hartlepool United boss he has yet to get the better of the Griffin Park club.

Saturday's FA Cup defeat ended Pool's hopes of reaching round five of the competition for the first time and probably cost something like £300,000 in the process.

Down to ten men for 83 minutes after Jack Ross was red carded, Pool never got going.

For winning the game, Brentford took £40,000 from the Football Association pot and can expect around a quarter of a million pounds from the St Mary's gate receipts.

Last season Brentford were one of only four teams to win a League game at Victoria Park and this victory was Pool's first home defeat in 20 games in all competitions.

Pool lost at Griffin Park both this season and last - October's defeat came with the last kick of the game - and drew in west London a couple of weeks ago to force a replay.

They have not beat Brentford since Ricardo Gabbiadini's header secured a 1991 Victoria Park win and who do Pool face at Victoria Park a week tomorrow? Brentford.

"They are a strong, hard-working side, there's no denying it,'' reflected Cooper.

"The wind spolied the game - of course it's the same for both teams, but we like to get the ball down and pass it around.

"We try to play passing football and were unable to do that.

"It's a big psychological blow to lose a man through a sending-off so early, it gives the opposition a lift. We had to match them across midfield and change things around. We had a couple of chances, but it wasn't our day.

"Brentford are solid and a good side. There's a chance we could meet again in the play-offs, but hey, let's make sure we get there first.

"But I've never beaten them since I came to the club and I don't think I would want to face them.''

With other League One results again generally going in Pool's favour - only leaders Luton won and that was at the expense of second-placed Hull - there was some solace from what was Pool's most insipid display in front of their own fans this season.

Soon after going a man down they lost Mark Tinkler to injury, and Cooper's pack was reshuffled to the extent that only the left back and one central defender remained in their original outfield positions.

Too many changes affected the team and they never looked comfortable.

Against a strong wind in the first-half and with it in the second, there was little fludity about Pool and none of the swift flowing football that has entertained at Victoria Park all season.

The crowd of 7,580 was Pool's biggest gate for a home game since September 1967 when John McGovern scored in a 1-1 draw with Rochdale.

It was Pool's fourth attendance in excess of 7,000 in the last 16 months and, for all their superb form in front of their own fans, they've yet to win any of those big games.

Draws with Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City have been followed with defeats to Plymouth and Brentford.

Now Pool must hope that the majority of the floating fans return tomorrow when Mike Newell's Luton arrive.

If Pool win that one, hopes of a top two finish are alive.

It should be a more open encounter than this cat and mouse affair. Last season's 4-3 win over Luton was a memorable game and, with the Newell factor still burning among supporters, the game is another big one.

It's a rarity for Pool to have a man sent off - Ross's dismissal was Pool's second of the season and only the fourth in three seasons, two in the League and two in Cup competitions.

Some teams are used to playing with a man down, but it's not something Pool are accustomed to.

Micky Nelson's clearance was charged down and the ball spun back over the Pool defence towards Dimi Konstantopoulos.

Ross was covering and, with Stephen Hunt on his shoulder, looked for a back pass to the big keeper.

But his touch let him down badly and he ended up knocking the ball into Hunt's path.

With the midfielder faced with Konstantopoulos, Ross slid in, tripped Hunt in the area and the ball rolled easily into the keeper's hands.

Wether Hunt had the ball under control and was a certain scorer is a moot point, but Ross was the last man and there could be few complaints about the decision - if it was the other way round and a red shirt tripped blue, there would have been hell to pay.

Hunt took the penalty, low to the right of Konstantopoulos and the keeper clawed it out.

It didn't get any better than that for Pool.

Forced into two reshuffles, first through Ross's exit then Tinkler's after he took two blows to the head, Pool stuggled to adapt.

As a lone striker, Adam Boyd was rarely picked out by his team-mates and had to forage for possession deep inside his own half leaving Pool desperately short up front.

Isiah Rankin cracked the crossbar from 25 yards and Joel Porter lobbed a shot into the side netting from 20 yards.

Three minutes into the second half, Stewart Talbot's corner was headed on and Rankin was left unmarked to plant his header into the net.

The striker missed the chance of the game in the first encounter, but even he couldn't miss this one.

"We should have dealt with it better. We've defended very well lately and that's let us down. One chance and bang, it's in,'' said Cooper.

Chris Westwood put a header wide from close range after Porter wormed his way into space on the right, Boyd poked over the bar from a Micky Nelson flick and Ritchie Humphreys low long-range effort were all Pool could manage.

So instead of 12 games unbeaten in league and cup, it's now nine League One games without defeat and Cooper would love to make it a dozen after Martin Allen's side return in eight days.

Result: Hartlepool United 0 Brentford 1.

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