SOMETIMES the ugliest of games can be the most important and effective - the most beautiful in fact.

Match video in hand, Neale Cooper billed Hartlepool United's win at Colchester as a "video nasty"; it's one the censors might want to take a look at before it goes on general release.

And the players were united in admitting it wasn't one for the purists, but they weren't complaining.

"I'm glad I didn't pay to watch that one,'' admitted Cooper.

"It was awful, so scrappy,'' said Chris Westwood.

"It wasn't pretty and there wasn't much football played,'' reflected Steven Carson.

Who cares if it was awful - everyone had a smile on their face and you won't find anyone at Victoria Park complaining. It was Colchester with the scowls.

A nine-point haul from the last three games means Pool are in the shake-up at the top. They can also be forgiven for thinking what might have been after dominating Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackpool for long periods but only taking two points when it could easily have been nine.

But wins over Wycombe, Chesterfield and now Colchester have propelled Pool into fifth place in the table and who would have thought that QPR would have been visiting Victoria Park on March 13, with the play-offs more than a real possibility?

The football on show wasn't up to much. There was none of the passing game which has been the backbone of Pool's performances this season.

Instead it was ugly. Almost as ugly as Pool's win at Boston last season, the one which then-boss Mike Newell admitted was arguably the most important of the season.

This three point return can be classed in the same category - job done - and winning away when playing below par isn't a bad thing.

And doing the job away from home has become a regular thing for Cooper's side this season. That's seven away wins, the same number achieved at Victoria Park, and only one behind last season's tally.

"It wasn't the best at all, but there's been times when we have played brilliantly at times and lost - Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday spring to mind,'' reflected Cooper.

"The start was slack, we were lacklustre and there was no pace to the game. I said to Martin that some daft goal was going to win it one way or another and it happened - it was that sort of game.

"It was poor, but I'm not complaining.

"It's not often I've said after a game that it was a poor performance, but it's been three wins in a week.

"For whatever reason we couldn't get into the game all over the pitch. People had no composure on the ball. We like to get the ball down, but it never happened.

"I felt we had to change it around at half-time and it made a difference. Carson ran at people and he's looked sharp in training. He's not fit yet, but he has looked brighter.

"(Steven) Istead is a threat with his pace and he got the winner.''

Home boss Phil Parkinson claimed his side played some of their best football in the first-half. If that's the case then heaven help them when they play badly.

Striker Wayne Andrews was often involved, but more often than not his finishing was as accurate as those who predicted Pool were in for a season of struggle and a swift return to Division Three.

At the back Alan White, the Darlington-born defender who was sent off just two minutes into the fixture at Victoria Park in December, kept the shackles on Eifion Williams and gave the striker little change.

The opener - Pool's first foray into the opposition area - came when Joel Porter wriggled his way from the left, tried to feed Williams in front of goal only for the ball to deflect nicely into the path of Micky Nelson and the big defender, lingering with intent in the area after going up for a free-kick, tapped into the empty net.

But it was level when, from a corner Greg Halford got in front of Chris Westwood to head in.

With Chris Shuker, in his final game of a three-month loan spell which started so brightly but gradually faded, producing little after taking a knock, he was replaced at the break by Istead.

Boldly, Cooper also switched his other winger, giving new signing Carson the chance to shine on the left in place of the subdued Matty Robson.

And it paid off handsomely. Carson gave Pool some drive on the flank, regularly running at and beating defenders, Istead grabbed the winner.

A spectaculative one it might have been, a little fortunate at best, but it was in keeping with the manner of the game.

Result: Colchester United 1 Hartlepool United 2.

Read more about Hartlepool here.