THE LEAGUE Cup - or in whatever guise is appears these days - has few supporters.

And it probably has even fewer in Hartlepool, because Pool's winless run in the competition was extended to seven years as Pool went down to Tranmere at Victoria Park.

You have to go back to a thrilling 7-6 penalty shoot-out win over Scarborough in 1995 to discover the last League Cup tie Pool won.

Tranmere have twice knocked Pool out in the first round of the competition, the first time in 1997 when the competition was a two-legged affair.

Pool clawed level at 1-1 with 11 minutes to go through Eifion Williams, but a expertly-taken free-kick from Ryan Taylor four minutes later sunk Pool.

While there was no place in round two for Pool, there was no starting place for Gordon Watson.

Watson was in line - as revealed in Tuesday's Northern Echo Sport - to face Kevin Gray for the first tinme since the then Huddersfield defender shattered Watson's leg in an horrific tackle in 1997.

Their last meeting was in 1999 in the High Court when the Pool striker won almost £1m in damages.

On Tuesday night, however, Pool boss Chris Turner ensured his star striker was kept out of the action and missed what could have been a fiery reunion.

His place went to Adam Boyd, and Watson - with five goals to his name this season - wasn't give the chance to add to his tally, or even prove a point to Gray, as Pool chased the game.

With a minute on the clock, Watson's regular partner Williams should have scored, but with just the keeper to beat his shot was pushed out by John Achterberg for a corner which was amazingly not given by Chester-le-Street referee Mark Clattenburg despite the visitors taking up defensive positions in the penalty area.

Pool keeper Anthony Williams produced a great block to deny Stuart Barlow and the former Everton man then screwed wide from six yards.

But there was precious little for a long spell to excite the crowd, Pool were having plenty of possession but failed to get beyond the Rovers' back line.

Williams, though, was called into action to produce a reaction block to keep out Simon Haworth's 10-yard volley.

The Pool keeper was beaten on 37 minutes; and just like on Saturday at Swansea a corner proved Pool's downfall.

In South Wales, Swansea first scored and were later awarded a penalty from two flag-kicks, and on Tuesday night a left-wing corner from Taylor was touched past Williams by Haworth.

Pool started with three at the back against Tranmere, a team a division above, but who went into the game on the back of a 3-0 reverse at Blackpool on Saturday. Perhaps Pool were showing their ordinary opposition too much respect and a switch to 4-4-2 must have been in Turner's thoughts at the break.

The very least he could have been hoping for would have been some more urgency from his side, but some support from referee Clattenburg - booed off the pitch by the Pool fans in a crowd of 2,778 - wouldn't have gone amiss either.

Mark Robinson could have levelled the scores on 49 minutes, but shot high over the bar after collecting Ritchie Humphreys' corner in the penalty area.

The passion the Pool fans wanted soon followed as from a Robinson cross, Boyd was denied his first goal of the season when his header was kept out by a combination of Achterberg and Gray.

And a minute later, Williams flicked a header at goal that went inches the wrong side of the upright.

Gray went into the book on 65 minutes after bringing down Boyd when the Pool striker turned past the defender.

Westwood headed straight at Achterberg on 77 minutes and Turner threw Graeme Lee up front with Boyd dropping deeper in a 4-4-2 set-up.

The switch soon paid dividends as Boyd saw his shot charged down and the ball fell for Williams to tap into an empty net.

But just as Pool got themselves level, they were soon behind. Robinson conceded a free kick on the edge of the area and Ryan Taylor curled his shot around the Pool wall and beyond Williams.

Pool appealed for two penalties in injury time, first when Gray and later when Clarke was hacked down.

But once again Clattenberg denied Pool - and once again he was rightly booed off the park.

Goals: Haworth (37mins, 0-1); Williams (79, 1-1), Taylor (83, 1-2)

Bookings: Haworth, Jones, Gray, Henderson (fouls)

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Chester-le-Street)

Attendance: 2,778

HARTLEPOOL (3-5-2): A Williams 7; Lee 6, Barron 6, Westwood 7; Robinson 6, TINKLER 7, Humphreys 6, Clarke 6, Arnison 6; Boyd 7, E Williams 6 (Henderson 84). Subs (not used): Provett, Robson, Watson, Widdrington.

TRANMERE (3-5-2): Achterberg 6; Gray 6, Sharps 6, Allen 7; Mellon 6, Roberts 7, Jones 6, Curtis 7, Taylor 6; Barlow 6 (Hume 71), Haworth 7. Subs (not used): Price, Parkinson, Welch, Harrison.