SURELY there's no stigma attatched to this defeat for Denis Smith.

Disappointment maybe and a sense of what might have been certainly, but losing to Hartlepool United this season is no stain on the character.

That's unlike the sense of disbelief Smith felt the last time one of his teams came across Pool.

February 9, 1988. Sunderland 0 Hartlepool 1. It might have only been the Sherpa Van Trophy, but it's fondly remembered by the Pool faithful and, according to Smith, left a stain on his persona as he spoke of living with the stigma of losing to Hartlepool.

This time, however, he admitted: "Give them credit, they played well and the goals were top class finishes.''

Mark Tinkler's hat-trick had Pool coasting at 4-1 up but nearly 40 minutes remaining was more than enough time for the visitors to give Pool a fright of Mansfield and Cardiff proportions, two games in recent years where advantages were thrown away.

For an hour they dominated, taking a good Wrexham side to pieces, scoring four well-worked and well-finished goals. Then they switched off and a couple of Wrexham substitutions livened things up.

On came Hector Sam and faced with the man who sounds like a character from a children's TV programme the Pool defence started playing like juniors.

Perhaps it was complacency; no-one squanders a 4-1 lead at home do they? Well Pool almost managed it.

The three points, however hard they were earned, extended Pool's lead at the top of the table to three points as other results went in Chris Turner's favour.

And it means they go into Friday night's game at Southend knowing a win would give them a healthy six point advantage over their rivals.

"The important thing is to be in the top three,'' said Turner. "Of course it's nice to be top of the league but we keep picking up points, playing well and scoring goals.

"We've still got Gordon Watson to come back in two or three weeks time and it's looking good.

"The defending has been excellent all season, but I think on this occasion they let themselves down with the goals they conceded. But we won the game which is the important thing.

"I felt we needed legs in midfield and I don't think Adam Boyd has been playing well for the last two and half games, I had a good chat with him on Friday and Tommy was unfortunate to be left out.

"I think that midfield is the best in the division when they are all firing on all cylinders. We've got players who can adapt and play in different positions. I don't think anyone can complain about being left out.

"The season is about the squad, not individuals and if I feel it's right to leave someone out for the benefit of the team then I will. That's why I made those two decisions - Richardson scored and played well and Tinks got three - what more can you say?

"I think Marcus surprised a few people with his touch and when he gets fitter and beds in to our way he will be a good asset.''

Wrexham keeper Andy Dibble also let in four on his last start at Victoria Park - that time in a Pool shirt as Macclesfield enjoyed a 4-1 away win on February 19, 2000.

The big keeper wasn't as bad as he was that day, but he still wasn't capable of keeping Pool out.

Disappointingly Pool failed to pepper Dibble's penalty area with crosses to test the big man because that was one of his big failings during his stint at Pool. They did, however, find a liking for shooting across the keeper, striking at the far post from angle and distance and it paid off for Tinkler as he completed his treble and almost for Eifion Williams.

Number one, after he had earlier been denied by Dibble, was a 20-yard rocket. Marcus Richardson laid the ball into his path and a first-time strike whistled past the keeper.

Five minutes on and Richardson made it two with a neat finish. Eifion Williams ran through the Wrexham defence and set up his new strike partner who netted with a tidy finish as the keeper went to ground.

Lee Jones soon pulled one back, finishing first time as he latched onto a ball played beyond the square Pool defence.

But before the interval, Darrell Clarke teed up Tinkler and again he snapped up the first-time chance.

When Tinkler gleefully grabbed his third, cutting inside from the left and bending the ball around and beyond Dibble it was game over. If his fourth of the afternoon hadn't been ruled out for who knows what for on 58 minutes it really would have been finished.

Instead ten minutes later Lee Trundle shot past Anthony Williams and the nerves started to kick in, both crowd and players alike.

And as one became more edgy so did the other. Williams did superbly well to snatch the ball from under Sam's feet as he rounded the keeper, but when Jones got a touch past Williams a minute later he was brought down for a penalty.

With their substitutions made, a red card would have caused no end of problems for Pool. Instead it was yellow and while Sam scored injury time was played out in relative calm.

"We showed what we can do going forward,'' added Turner. "We play some atractive football - I wish this game was on Sky because this was what Third Division football is all about.

"It was very nervous at the end, for the first time our defenders were a bit sloppy. I thought for 75 per cent of the game Graeme Lee was excellent and then he had a little 25 per cent when he was sloppy and lacking in concentration.

"I could say that about all the back four - but everyone is allowed to have that little dip, but he is an excellent player.''

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