THE most profligate of first-half performances saw Hartlepool United knocked out of the LDV Vans Trophy at Scunthorpe last night.

Pool have been accused of being too negative away from home this season, but last night they created 11 chances in the opening half.

Yet the game remained scoreless until home skipper Andy Crosby slotted in a late penalty.

This was Pool's best attacking display of the season as they created a welter of openings.

In injury time, to compound Pool's agony, Ben Clark was sent off by referee Grant Hegley for a fair, but firm, tackle.

The wasted chances started early on. Eifion Williams, back in the side in the forward line, spotted keeper Tom Evans standing on the edge of his six-yard box. He curled the ball over and around the keeper and the ball crashed agonisingly off the underside of the bar and to safety.

He then latched on to a Lee Bullock pass and was forced to the right-hand side of the penalty area. With the shooting chance gone he delivered a deft pass across the face of goal, with only right back Ritchie Ryan waiting for possession.

At the other end, Dimi Konstantopoulos made a saving block on the line to stop Matt Sparrow turning the ball in from close range.

Then Antony Sweeney surged forward from midfield and smashed a shot against the angle of post and bar.

Pool were dictating the pace of the game and Williams regularly had the beating of the home defenders. He burst past Andy Crosby and Andy Butler and a delicated touch created space for him to try to lift the ball over Tom Evans. But he couldn't get enough lift on the ball to get it over the keeper.

Williams could have had five first-half goals - and his last two chances were the easiest.

First he rounded keeper Evans, but pushed the ball too far and, instead of shooting from an acute angle, pushed the ball across goal. The Welshman then darted towards the left side of the six-yard area, but fired low and Evans kept it out.

It took just 120 seconds for normal service to resume. Williams got away on the left side and dragged his shot across goal from another very inviting position.

The Iron then created a rare chance when Konstantopoulos saved a Wayne Corden header and John Brackstone thrashed away the loose ball.

Chris Llewellyn was having an impressive game on the right wing, certainly his brightest since moving to Pool in the summer, and he had space to shoot at goal. Evans pushed it out and Lee Bullock flew his volley over the bar.

Konstantopoulos made a fine low save from Cordon before the penalty decision.

Carl Jones slid in to halt a Cleveland Taylor shot and was adjudged to have handled. Jones was injured in the process and a long delay followed as the defender was stretchered off with a leg injury.

Crosby slotted the penalty high to the keeper's left, but was ordered to try again after his teammates encroached into the area.

He again made no mistake, this time knocking it low.

Clark's dismissal came when he went in firmly on Ian Baraclough and referee Grant Hegley was the only person in the ground who felt the challenge worthy of a red card.

Boss Martin Scott made a beeline for Hegley at the final whistle, but Clark, the second Pool player to be sent off in as many games, will now miss Saturday's vital home game with MK Dons.

Scunthorpe Utd 1 - 0 Hartlepool Utd

Read more about Hartlepool here.