IT might be a new year, but the outcome had a familiar ring to it for Hartlepool United yesterday.

A 1-1 home draw with Swindon Town at Victoria Park left everyone trudging away with an acute feeling of disappointment.

Just as in recent home games with Colchester, Southend and Tamworth, it was a game they should have had sewn up and were left to rue what might have been.

Gavin Strachan's first half free-kick appeared to set Martin Scott's side up for only their fourth Victoria Park victory this season, only for a Rory Fallon header to level the scores, after Pool started to sit deeper and deeper in the second period.

"I'm disappointed because you have to win those games - it was there for the taking,'' said Scott.

"We had to take the chances when we were on top. The lads were excellent and I cannot fault them for effort. I know I am repeating myself, but they gave me their all.

"I cannot question their commitment, but at 1-0 we lacked that belief in the second half to go on and win the game.

"I know sometimes things didn't drop for us in the box, but you have to gamble and have the confidence and belief that you are going to get on the end of things.

"If we do that, maybe we will start scoring goals. People can look at the second half and say we were looking to hold on to what we had, but there was no talk at all of doing that.

"We cannot do that because the opposition will come at you the more you camp in your own area and you are going to get punished.

"You could see it and sense it, so you have to go on and get a second goal. It didn't happen for us, so then it's about making sure you don't concede.

"There's a disappointment, because we haven't had a good return points-wise of late, but there have been some good performances.''

Pool have now slipped to seventh bottom, five points ahead of the bottom four and just eight points off the play-off zone.

At the same stage last year, after beating MK Dons 5-0 at Victoria Park on January 3, they were on 43 points, 12 points more than they have today.

But it's the festive programme which has let Pool down, as this draw means they have taken a sparse two points from 12.

And the crowd let their feelings be known on the final whistle, with an all-too-familiar rumbling of discontent.

Michael Maidens, one of three changes to the Pool side, tried his luck with a controlled volley from 25 yards, which was struck at keeper Rhys Evans.

Out to impress on his first start since the defeat at Gillingham in mid-November, Maidens made a firm tackle on Jamie Cureton but referee Neil Swarbrick harshly pulled up the winger.

But it was a tame start to the game and Pool were guilty of playing too many high balls from deep into the faces of big defenders Jerel Ifill and Sean O'Hanlon.

Yet Pool found space to immediately fire two headers on target.

Micky Nelson diverted a cross from 15 yards that had Evans tipping over the bar and from a Ritchie Humphreys ball, Tony Sweeney nodded straight at the keeper.

Pool's first scare came when Nelson got in a tangle and, with the ball between his legs, it dropped out for Jamie Cureton.

The striker had scored the winning goal for Colchester at Victoria Park during a loan spell last month, but Nelson recovered to intercept and nick the ball away.

Andy Comyn-Platt was pulled up for a foul on Maidens 35 yards from goal.

Pool tried to take a quick free-kick but were stopped by the referee, who booked the midfielder.

The delay infuriated Pool, but they weren't complaining as Strachan then stepped up to drill a low shot into the corner from distance, as Evans struggled to scurry across his line.

Pool were reliant on Dimi Konstantopoulos for keeping the advantage before the break.

Comyn-Platt's header from six yards was destined to land inside the post, but the big Greek got across to palm it away one-handed.

Pool's standards had started to slip as they had a spell with little cohesion.

They needed to take their lead into the break and a welly of a tackle from Nelson on Cureton stopped the striker's progress and he somersaulted into the penalty area head over heels.

Pool began the second half sharper and a Humphreys shot was deflected wide before Eifion Williams steered a shot away from the posts after being set up by Sweeney on the edge of the area.

A swift break that led to Cureton diving a header at Konstantopouls was a worry, before Pool forced three corners in a row.

Nelson was always the target and twice his efforts were deflected wide before the third was too high for his huge leap.

But Pool, with around 25 minutes to go, started to sit back and defend their lead.

Taking note of Strachan's earlier joy, Comyn-Platt tried his luck from a 30-yard free-kick. Konstantopoulos flew across goal to keep it out.

From the corner, O'Hanlon nodded down and, as Brown stood ready to pounce, the Pool keeper grabbed the ball.

James Walker, newly-signed from Charlton on loan, replaced Clarke as Pool looked for a bit extra up front.

But Maidens, who faded as the game went on, was easily bundled off the ball inside the Swindon half and two passes later the scores were level.

Shakes fired in a cross from the right and, as the defence was caught flat, Fallon flung himself at the ball to connect and head past Konstantopoulos, who got a firm hand on the ball but couldn't keep it out.

Sweeney should have won it with five minutes to go. Walker's pass found the midfielder inside the area, but his shot crashed into the legs of keeper Evans and Pool have now won just twice in their last 11 games.

Result: Hartlepool 1, Swindon Town 1.

Read more about Hartlepool here.