DISAPPOINTED Chris Turner last night praised his Hartlepool United record breakers.

Yesterday's televised defeat at Bournemouth was Pool's first away defeat in 12 outings and after eastablishing a new club record in winning at Shrewsbury the previous week, Turner insists he is proud of his achievements.

A cruel own-goal by Tommy Widdrington with just five minutes to go ended the run and Turner said: "The players deserve credit because that record will take some beating, but we will start again at Southend in our next away game and try to start again. This was unfortunate to lose like we did, but we were up against it.

"Obviously it was very hard in the second half playing into the wind with ten men. I thought we could have kept the ball a little bit better, but I cannot knock the lads for their effort and what they did.

"We were under a lot of pressure, but the disappointing thing was that the winning goal was an own goal. Anthony Williams made a few top class saves, but then the winner is a deflection by one of our own players. But we will bounce back from it. It's a long time since we lost away from home and we were never going to win every game and we will take this defeat on the chin.''

Turner was left to reflect on what might have been after his team were forced to play for over an hour with ten men after captain Micky Barron was sent-off, minutes after Eifion Williams had given Pool the lead.

"It was a great goal from Eifion and then soon comes the decision which will change the game,'' he said. "It was one of those things, Micky slipped and then caught the lad as he was in, but we had something to hang onto. That was our hope at half-time, but unfortunately we didn't.

"I think the game was played in some of the worst possible conditions, the wind was down from one end of the pitch to the other and we were up against it.

"We should have had a penalty ourselves in the last minute, perhaps if it was at the other end then it would have been given, but there's nothing we can do about it.''

Hartlepool-born Steve Fletcher was introduced as a second-half Bournemouth substitute for his first home outing in over a year after suffering from knee trouble and he said: "It meant a lot to me because it was against Hartlepool.

"The club has changed so much since I was there, but I always look out for the results. I know the goal didn't go in off me, but if they want to give it to me I don't mind.

"Maybe if it was a normal game I could get away with it, but Sky have all the angles covered and I don't think I can get away with that one!

"I know plenty of people will have been watching me back in Hartlepool.''

Barron is likely to miss the home game with Bristol Rovers on Tuesday, October 29 after his red card.

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