RUSS WILCOX, the York City boss, felt his side’s job was easier when Marlon Harewood was off the pitch.

The Hartlepool United striker gave one of his stronger performances as Pools lost to the Minstermen at Victoria Park.

Harewood set up Pools opener and caused problems for Wilcox’s defenders – but when Pools went 3-1 behind, the striker was immediately replaced and Wilcox felt that helped his side see the game out.

“I thought it helped us a lot when Harewood came off the pitch, I thought that helped us,’’ he admitted after his second win in six League Two games since his appointment. “I thought he was a handful all afternoon. From our point of view it could be something we need to add to the squad if we can, some physicality.

“Harewood was a handful at the back end of the pitch for us and he was a concern for us.’’

There’s now a six point gap between the sides after the visitors turned the game around in the second half.

And Wilcox added: "For us moving forward as a club, that was a huge win. It was a mental test more than a physical one.

"We were one-down away from home and I thought we looked leggy in the first half –but to come back from being 1-0 down took terrific spirit.

“It’s great to get two goals from set-plays and I thought we saw the game out fairly comfortably after going ahead and it was a huge three points.

“We were giving the ball back to Hartlepool in the first-half, we sat back, played square and I don’t want us to do that. We had a char about being a passing team, passing with purpose and we did that second-half.

“All of a sudden we created gaps and had opportunities to score goals. Forget the football side, this was a massive mental test.’’

Pools defender Michael Duckworth was forced off in the second half with a groin injury and will be assessed today and boss Paul Murray will sign a new centre-half to replace Scott Harrison, who has returned to Sunderland after a loan spell.