ANOTHER draw at Bournemouth for Hartlepool United, with this one offering differing emotions.

Pool made the trip to the south coast for the second time in three League One games and, while they ended last season with a 2-2 draw, they have earned their first point of this season with a 1-1 scoreline.

The May 7 game secured Pool's place in the play-offs, this encounter gave them something to savour after the disappointment of the opening day defeat to Bradford.

Pool were a much-improved side from Saturday's reverse at Victoria Park and left the Fitness First Stadium content with their draw.

Now they must continue the improvement when, with the fixture computer again not too kind to Martin Scott's side, Pool travel to face a lively Doncaster side.

Michael Proctor, paired up front with Jon Daly, went close to grabbing his frist Pool goal just six minutes in, firing a 12-yard volley which keeper Neil Moss miraculously saved.

Daly started at the expense of Adam Boyd, last season's top scorer who failed to fire in the weekend's disappointing opener.

Eifion Williams also made a start, in place of Saturday's debutant Chris Llewellyn on the right wing.

In the back line Darren Williams moved to centre-half, with Ben Clark swopping over to right back.

The changes certainly worked, with Pool looking a lot more fluid throughout and more solid at the back than they did on the opening day.

Antony Sweeney, who scored the decisive goal at the Fitness First Stadium on the final day of last season, should have done better at the same end when he nodded wide from close range.

Proctor suffered a nose-bleed, not from going so close to a first goal, but from a clash with Neil Young and spent the rest of the half with cotton wool stuck in his nostril.

Pool's first booking of the season came after 36 minutes when Thomas Butler was penalised for smashing the ball away after his promising attack was halted by the officials.

While Pool failed to control Bradford talisman Dean Windass at the weekend, at least last night they didn't have to contend with Bournemouth's own hero, Steve Fletcher, as the Hartlepool-born target man missed out with a back injury.

Ritchie Humphreys, again playing at left back, linked up with Butler on the flank and swung over a tasty cross towards Daly, which was half-cleared by the home defence. Eifion Williams fired the loose ball back in, but Moss collected.

Seconds after the restart, the Cherries appealed furiously for two penalties - first when Nelson collided with Eddie Howe then against Darren Williams for handball.

Referee Trevor Parkes played on, but awarded Pool a free-kick 25 yards out at the other end.

Lee Bullock, Humphreys and Butler stood over the ball, but after it was tapped short, Humphreys was tackled as he shaped to shoot.

Dani Rodruigues put his foot in and tore away deep into the Pool half. He passed to Howe and his angled shot was pushed out at full stretch by Dimi Konstantopoulos.

The save was a vital one because Pool soon took the lead.

Daly, impressive throughout, chested the ball off for Bullock and, with only open spaces around him, the midfielder had time to pick his spot from 25 yards and arc the ball over Moss into the net.

Konstantopoulos made a sharp low save to keep out a Shaun Maher header, but was beaten a minute later.

Rodrigues latched on to a Gareth O'Connor pass into space on the right and he charged forward. His shot was almost stopped by Konstantopoulos, but he could only watch as the ball bounced in off the upright.

Boyd, missing from the starting line-up for the first time since last November, was introduced for Proctor.

He soon won a corner and, from Nelson's flick, Bullock tried to loop a header over Moss.

Pool were put under pressure as the home side started to spread play across the park and Scott's side were going to rely on the pace of Butler and Boyd on the counter attack.

The pair combined on 80 minutes, but Boyd, subdued after spending the first hour on the bench, fired high over the bar.