HOW can the team with the best home record in League One have the worst away record?

After last night's defeat at Walsall, it gets even harder to work it out.

A first-half which ended with Hartlepool United well on top finished with away defeat number nine and their eighth in a row.

For 45 minutes Pool played all the football and, while they might not have created as many chances as they had in some of the other defeats, they were more than good value for their 1-0 advantage.

A win could have taken them as high as fourth in the table. But a quick goal turned things in favour of the home side and, with Paul Merson practically running the show, the second and killer goal duly arrived.

If Neale Cooper had any hair he would have torn it out.

After Jack Ross, Tony Sweeney and Joel Porter all managed to waste half-decent openings, either putting the ball into the stand or out for a throw-in on the opposite side, Walsall could have scored on 18 minutes.

Merson chipped across goal and Michael Standing's shot was goalbound, until it hit team-mate Jeorge Leitao on its way towards the net. As the ball spun away Gary Birch was ready to knock it in, but Jack Ross slid in to turn it away for a corner.

Perhaps this was the bit of luck Pool were looking for away from home; after all they are due some.

With the Pool midfield interchanging, Ritchie Humphreys took possession 30 yards out and thumped a low shot that troubled keeper Joe Murphy.

If he was bothered then, he was despondent on 32 minutes.

Porter's pace took him away from the defence on the halfway line and, although Julian Bennett caught up, so did Boyd and when he shot the ball deflected off the defender and spun up over Murphy.

Pool were enjoying plenty of possession and were contstantly troubling their opponents. When Walsall had the ball, they struggled to do much with it thanks to Pool's workrate.

They chased and harassed like a dog after a bone, causing the home side to make countless errors and hacked clearances.

Walsall introduced Matty Fryatt at the break and he made an instant impression, dragging his side level.

The deepest of crosses was nodded back across the six-yard box by Merson and, after Leitao failed to connect and Ben Clark couldn't clear, the substitute bundled the ball over the line.

The goal obviously lifted the Saddlers and it was Pool's turn to defend ferociously.

With Merson pulling most of the strings - a bit like Peter Beardsley did for Pool a few years back - they had plenty to keep them busy.

After an hour Merson was shattered, taking every chance to have a breather, but his influence rarely waned.

He was lucky not to be a goal behind when Sweeney put the ball into the net after Boyd's shot was pushed out, only to be flagged offside.

Pool were not so lucky on 67 minutes, Merson's through-ball finding Leitao and he raced away from Jack Ross and lobbed over Dimi Konstantopoulos to give Pool that away familar feeling.

Humphreys weaved his way through the defence and his deft lay-off found Porter - he looked a certain scorer only for his shot to be deflected inches wide.

On came Hugh Robertson on 77 minutes after injury as Pool looked for a leveller.

He fired over a corner with seconds left and Humphreys stabbed at the ball from 12 yards only to see it drift agonisingly over.

There was still time for a Humphreys shot to be kept out at the near post.

Result: Walsall 2 Hartlepool United 1.

Read more about Hartlepool here.