HARTLEPOOL UNITED fell to the foot of the League One table, following an uninspiring 0-0 draw with Walsall.
Portsmouth’s win over Coventry sees them jump over Pools, who sit six points from the safety line, although Oldham have three games in hand.
Pools have now played out three successive 0-0 draws at home.
On a bleak and brutal day, the windy conditions never made for an appealing game – and so it proved.
The wind almost helped the Saddlers to an early goal, when Andy Taylor’s corner held up in the gale and keeper Scott Flinders got to his near post to push the ball away.
At the other end, Simon Walton drove wide from 18 yards, before Neil Austin’s cross on the overlap saw keeper Sam Johnstone, newly signed on loan from Manchester United, make a fine diving save to keep out an Antony Sweeney header.
But other than that, chances on goal were at a real premium and, with just six games to go, Pools have one foot in League Two.