SUPER-SUB Anth Lormor struck at the death to preserve Hartlepool United's proud unbeaten record last night.

Lormor netted with just two minutes remaining to ensure a 1-1 draw with play-off rivals Rochdale after Pool battered the visitors into submission in the second-half.

The £20,000 summer buy from Mansfield came off the bench against his former club at Victoria Park ten days ago to rescue Pool with a last-gasp header - and produced a similar trick last night.

The goal means Pool have not suffered defeat since going down at Cardiff on November 25 - a 16 game League run that has propelled Chris Turner's side into the promotion frame and earned Turner his first managerial accolade with the January Division Three manager of the month award.

And it means Pool go into Saturday's crunch derby with arch-rivals Darlington at Feethams aiming to equal a 23-year club record of 17 games without defeat.

With skipper Micky Barron suspended, the captain's armband went to midfielder Tommy Miller and Pool changed their back-line in Barron's absence. Darren Knowles returned to right wing-back in place of Neil Aspin who moved into the back three.

On a blustery Hartlepool night the ball spent the opening minutes airborne as the sides struggled to cope with the conditions.

Pool created a couple of chances that came to nothing before Rochdale keeper Neil Edwards produced a stunning save to claw out Adam Boyd's six-yard header. James Sharp's free kick was played back into the area and the home-grown midfielder powerfully met MarkTinkler's cross only for Edwards to get down low to keep it out.

Rochdale charged forward and this time it was Anthony Williams turn to stop a goalbound effort as former Darlington midfielder Michael Oliver fired in a low drive.

The visitors had the ball in the net on 18 minutes, but Gary Jones' 30-yard drive was disallowed after a foul on Kevin Henderson.

Pool should have been awarded a penalty on the half-hour when Dave Bayliss pulled down Aspin's cross with his hand, but referee Trevor Jones - despite looking straight at the incident - waved play on. Henderson and Bayliss then went into the book after clashing off the ball.

Graeme Lancashire was yellow-carded seconds later after a reckless lunge on Boyd and teammate Keith Hill followed suit as Jones appeared to lose his authority on the game.

Rochdale looked far from a team that had gone six games without a win and and after soaking up some Pool pressure they took the lead on 42 minutes.

Dean Howells took the ball under control in the penalty area and as he cut the ball back from the by-line, Graeme Lancashire planted his header home

One-down and Chris Turner brought on Anth Lormor for Craig Midgely and Lee Fitzpatrick for Boyd in a bid to keep the unbeaten run intact.

Tinkler flashed a header at goal from Sharp's curling cross, but once again Edwards proved Pool's nemesis. Sam Shilton surged forward and clipped a curling effort from 25-yards that for once evaded Edwards, but sailed the wrong side of the post.

All the pressure was coming from Pool as they penned the visitors into their own penalty area, but despite five corners in quick succession, efforts on goal proved hard to come by.

Lormor's physical presence was causing trouble for the packed defence and he fired in a low effort again kept out by Edwards.

With time running out, Ian Clark replaced Neil Aspin and took up a role on the left wing as Pool switched to a 4-4-2 line up.

And the switch paid dividends. Henderson's pile-drive was tipped over by Edwards and when the corner was not cleared Lormor popped up at the back post to head home.

In a mad ending, Pool almost won it. Defender Lee Todd played the ball back to Edwards and referee Jones controversially adjudged it was a back pass.

Amid furious protests, Todd was red carded before Clark's free-kick was blocked by the defensive wall