IF Hartlepool United could stop throwing away points they wouldn't just be talking about being in the top three, they would be firmly entrenched in there.

As Carlisle netted a last-gasp equaliser on Saturday, it took Pool's seasonal tally of dropped points from a winning position to an unprecedented 17.

It might be unfair to claim that every one of those points has been criminally lost, but conceding costly last minute goals is a habit Pool should have vowed to kick in their New Year resolutions.

But Chris Turner's side is still in the top seven, still in the play-off zone and hasn't lost since going down at Cardiff on November 25, a run that has raked in 17 points from a possible 21.

A point against the league's bottom club might have left the biggest crowd of the season feeling a little flat as they trudged home, but credit is due to Carlisle for the way they went about the task.

A fortnight earlier Exeter, their biggest rivals for the drop, arrived at Victoria Park, put 11 men behind the ball and didn't manage a shot on goal as they were sent packing 2-0.

Carlisle, however, showed more ambition and on this showing should avoid another nail-biting last day of the season as has been the norm in recent years.

Carl Heggs gave them the lead, Craig Midgley and Paul Arnison turned it around, before Scott Dobie's effort tied things up.

"Of course we are all disappointed that we didn't win,'' said Turner. "But it keeps the run going and we are still in the top seven.

"In the first half we didn't perform well and didn't do the things we needed to put them under pressure. We did it for the 20 minutes and got well in front but sat back a little bit. We needed the third to get there and instead we were hanging on a bit.

"We are seventh in the League, but we are a Third Division team with Third Division players at the moment and are always going to have an off day.

"When you are on a good run teams from the bottom come here and people expect three or four-nil, but it never going to be easy and the conditions out there were a great leveller - but I am still pleased with most of the performances and it keeps the run going.''

Pool have gone 13 games without defeat on home turf, but the Victoria Park surface is not doing them any favours. A strip right though the middle and the Town End goalmouth are more like a bog than a football pitch and fans and players alike can only hope that the planned pitch work is carried out this summer after nothing happened last close season.

"At times we try and play too much football on that pitch,'' said Turner. "Sometimes we should try and play it a bit longer because we cannot pass it around on there in the mud.

"Mark Tinkler is a footballer and the ball sticks in the mud for him and then his feet are in a few inches of mud as well - it's disappointing but we have to try and play through the winter months and just get on with it.''

Right from the off Carlisle showed more ambition than Exeter as they tried to break forward at pace and put Pool under pressure. Their ambition was rewarded when from Tony Hemming's corner, Heggs flicked the ball over Anthony Williams to put the visitors into a shock lead.

Arnison and Midgley both sent shots wide, and had to wait until after the break to make their mark.

Midgley was presented with Match Magazine's player of the month award before the game for a string of top displays in December and netted his first goal since bagging a hat-trick against Barnet on December 23, just after the restart.

Paul Stephenson was as influential as ever and after feeding Kevin Henderson the striker's effort was blocked, but Midgley was alert enough in the Town End swamp to dig the ball out and turn it home.

Seven minutes later, Arnison headed in one of the finest goals to grace Victoria Park in many a year. From a string of passes, Tommy Miller crossed from the byline for the on-rushing wing back to steer home a goal reminiscent of the lavish fifth against Barnet last month.

For ten minutes after, it was all Pool. Brimming with confidence, they controlled proceedings but, as was to prove so costly, failed to find a third. Midgley should have been awarded a penalty after being bundled over in the area and Miller flashed a shot wide, but that was as close as they came.

Former Pool forward Stephen Halliday put the ball in the area and it fell for Dobie who lashed it home.

And now to Mansfield, Macclesfield and Cardiff, add Carlisle to the tale of dropped points woe