Pools' promotion charge goes on as hot-shot Duffy strikes again

FIVE League Two wins in a row and Hartlepool United are this morning four points off the automatic promotion places.

Taking 15 points from 15 has pushed Pools from the lower reaches of the table to the top end, but last night they made hard work of seeing off Rochdale, one of the teams they have left well behind.

Darryl Duffy's fourth goal in six games since arriving on loan from Hull City gave Pools a 17th-minute lead, but from then on they failed to press home their superiority.

It was only in the last ten minutes they rediscovered anything like their normal fluent game, as they allowed the struggling visitors, who have taken a mere five points from 30, too much possession, making for an edgy second half.

Duffy and fellow loan signing Andy Monkhouse have certainly proved their worth during their temporary stays at Victoria Park and boss Danny Wilson will be hoping to extend their spells in the North-East when they expire shortly.

In front of Pool's lowest League Two crowd of the season, Duffy turned in from close range after Micky Nelson headed on a free-kick.

After wins at Notts County and Bristol Rovers since their last home game, Pools wanted to show their home support how they had improved since knocking Rochdale out of the FA Cup on penalties last month.

They started like a team full of confidence, taking the game to their struggling opponents but failing to test keeper Matt Gilks.

Eifion Williams, back in the side after missing out last week with a thigh injury, had two openings to shoot but a second of hesitation saw both deflected away from goal.

The second effort brought a corner and the flag-kick - Pools have scored two goals in their last two games from corners - taken by Willie Boland was nodded wide by Nelson.

They should have been in front on 16 minutes. A deft pass from Andy Monkhouse played in the marauding Williams, he squared to Duffy, in space ten yards from goal, but all he could manage was an apologetic pass straight at Gilks when he should have burst the net.

The Scot made no mistake seconds later, however.

Boland's free-kick was headed on by Nelson and the loan striker wasn't going to pass up a second free effort at goal and planted his header across Gilks into the net.

After scoring, Pools sat off, taking the tempo out of the game.

It was 11 minutes before the next chance - and Pools needed Dimi Konstantopoulos to save.

Simon Ramsden crossed for Keith Barker, who rolled the ball across the six yard area and Ben Clark diverted it towards goal. Konstantopoulos deserved the pat on the back from Clark for saving his blushes.

Rochdale started having their share of possession, which frustrated the life out of Wilson because he'd already seen his side show what they could do against an ordinary team - how they put five past Darlington on their last visit to the North-East is anyone's guess.

Pools went close to making it two when Sweeney hit the post. Picking the ball up around halfway he motored forward and, after Duffy pulled away to drag a defender out of the picture, Sweeney charged through three defenders and his shot from the edge of the area was pushed on to the outside of the post by Gilks.

With their single-goal lead, Pools continued to sit back and allow the visitors, fourth bottom of the table, the ball.

That they weren't sharp enough inside or around the penalty area to do anything with it was no reason for Pools to allow it to happen, risking the chance of three points being reduced to one.

Konstantopoulos stopped a low Alan Goodall shot and, as it spun away, Morike Sako missed the follow up.

It was a nervous time for Pools, and every time they gave away possession it increased the worries further.

Pools created their first chance of the second period with eight minutes to go, Liddle and Humphreys carving out an opening on the left, with the left-back's cross turned aside from a tight angle by Duffy.

But Pools' willingness to win was epitomised in injury time when Humphreys and Boland threw themselves in front of a Gary Jones shot on the edge of the area.