No need to stay at home to catch The Great Escape

Bank Holiday Monday and what's on at Victoria Park? 3pm, Hartlepool United rescue a point in injury time, coming back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Scunthorpe.

The Great Escape? You'd better believe it.

At 3-1 behind with 25 minutes remaining, boss Martin Scott threw on the equivalent of McQueen and James Garner in Eifion Williams and Ben Clark.

The pair combined to haul Pool level and secure what was an unlikely point.

Williams reduced the gap to one, then, in injury time, Clark's raking ball led to a point-securing Adam Boyd penalty.

Pool can count themselves fortunate and, after another performance that flattered to deceive, Scott hopes the late drama will prove a much-needed confidence boost for his side.

"We are all being tested right now,'' said Scott. "Because we are not playing as well as we can.

"What came out of today's game was the character we showed to come back from 3-1 down.

"At 3-1 down at home it's a tough task to come back. I'm frustrated and I know the fans are frustrated because we are not a winning team.

"At the moment we have no confidence in the team. For whatever reason, players lack confidence and I think it's showing and it's up to me as manager to bring it back.

"We got a point from nothing, and we didn't deserve a point to be honest. It might take a week, two weeks or it might take longer to get playing the way we want to play, but we will get there.''

Scott has reiterated more than enough times this season the importance of starting games on the front foot.

Yesterday they did it, and led for all of two minutes, but even by then Micky Nelson had been booked and Pool could have been a goal down.

Billy Sharp looked offside as he took a pass from Andy Keogh inside the area and screwed his shot, under a challenge from Darren Williams, wide.

But then came Michael Proctor's third goal in a week to give Pool that bright start.

Ritchie Humphreys' long throw was headed back into the area by Lee Bullock and Proctor curled a low shot around Paul Musselwhite.

It was back to square one two minutes later though.

Pool failed to convincingly clear their lines, Cleveland Taylor hooked the ball on and, as Nelson left the ball for Dimi Konstantopoulos, Sharp lived up to his name to nip in and hook the ball across the keeper.

Konstantopoulos then held a rising shot from the same player after the front man held off three defenders to shoot.

At the other end, Musselwhite used all his 6ft 2in frame to keep out a dangerous Antony Sweeney header from ten yards.

And that was it as far as clear chances went for the next 23 minutes until Nelson's low shot inside the area was stopped by the keeper.

Referee Colin Webster did his best to take any edge out of the game, the Shotley Bridge blower loved the sound of his own whistle, and Pool had yet to find the swift passing game that has destroyed so many teams at Victoria Park.

Both Bradford and Walsall came to stifle Pool and took home their rewards, this time it was the referee who did his best to kill the game.

The two teams mentioned went home without losing, Webster headed back up the A19 after incurring the wrath of a disappointing 5,044 crowd inside Victoria Park, although his final decision wasn't argued with by anyone in blue and white.

Konstantopoulos kept Pool level on 43 minutes. Sharp, inside the area, found the suspiciously offside-looking Taylor, but the big Greek flung himself across goal to stop.

Proctor latched onto a Nelson flick to lash the ball home two minutes after the restart, but was foiled by the offside flag.

Then came another bad start to a half.

A long free-kick from Musselwhite was headed against Sharp and he cut across Neill Collins, watched by his Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy, to shoot low past Konstantopoulos at the near post.

The free-kick came from another petty decision from referee Webster, but Pool had only themselves to blame for conceding.

Humphreys then curled over a corner and it evaded everyone waist high across the six yard area.

Williams replaced Chris Llewellyn on the hour mark and he met a cross from Humphreys, but bundled it over the bar, before Proctor sent a header straight at Musselwhite.

But then Sharp latched onto a Peter Beagrie ball played over Nelson, crossed into the six yard area and Keogh volleyed in.

They were fortunate not to be 4-1 down within seconds and Sharp's progress was halted by Collins and Konstantopoulos saved from Taylor and then Sharp.

Clark's arrival had steadied Pool, they finally had someone to get their foot on the ball and make the most of possession.

The gap was reduced with 19 minutes to go. Nelson's header found Proctor and his stinging volley was blocked by Ritchie Ryan, with substitute Williams crashing the loose ball in from an angle.

The scorer and Humphreys then switched flanks and Williams' cross from the right was met by Boyd, but nothing came from it.

Matty Robson drilled over a cross from deep and Musselwhite back-pedalled to tip it over the bar.

The next ball into the area should have brought Pool a penalty. Williams smashed a shot from 20 yards that was blocked by the arm of Andy Crosby, but play was waved on.

The visitors tried to kill the game in the far corner, but Ben Clark's raking 80-yard ball had Jon Daly chasing long into the area.

Crosby and Richard Hinds chased Daly and they combined to bundle the striker over.

Referee Webster was running from one end to the other and instantly gave the decision from the half-way line, without any assistance from his assitant.

And, after an age of a wait, Boyd rolled in his second spot-kick in as many games.

Pool still had the temerity to nearly win the game.

Proctor had possession in a glorious position on the edge of the box and, with Sweeney and Williams breaking away into free space on his right, a simple pass was on.

Instead, the striker hesistated and only pushed the ball straight at the keeper.

Read more about Hartlepool here.