WHEN Hartlepool United met Notts County last November, the game was flooded off after three minutes, as Victoria Park resembled a swimming pool.

Last night, as the sides met again, they kept their heads above water after swimming against the second-half tide for a while.

The first-half was in Pools’ favour, the second for the visitors, as Gary Liddle’s opener on 38 minutes was cancelled out by Lee Hughes.

The striker who helped dump Sunderland out of the FA Cup earlier this month was on hand to tap in from close range.

It means Pools have not won in six, their last victory coming on New Year’s Day against Oldham, their next opponents on Tuesday night.

“We haven’t really hit our stride yet this year, we have done so in patches, but not for 90 minutes,’’ said Mick Wadsworth. “We need to get back to where we were when we won five in a row – we are ten, 12, 15 per cent below par throughout the team, but that will come.’’ He added: “There’s no complaints, a draw was fair. We did OK first-half and were the better team and got a good goal. Then they got on top in the second-half, they went a bit direct to be honest and we have struggled to cope with that at times.

“Then at the end, there was half a chance we would win it. (Andy) Monkhouse had a good shot which was well saved, but I was pleased in the way we didn’t buckle in the second period when in the past we may have done so.

“But (Lee) Hughes is terrific in and around the box, we knew if we lost concentration for a second he could get there – it’s like driving your car, lose concentration and you hit a lamp post.’’ After ending the game with the final chance, Monkhouse started it with the first, as he fired low into the side netting from an angle, and when he was teed up by new loan recruit Ryan Donaldson he went even closer.

Signed on Monday from Newcastle, the teenager, primarlily a midfielder, played up front, as Pools looked for a solution to their scoring drought.

He laid the ball off for Monkhouse, back on the left side, to fire a rising shot inches wide.

Gary Liddle and big defender Krystian Pearce clashed heads in a challenge and both returned from treatment with bandaged heads.

But the blow didn’t affect Liddle, as he soon put Pools into the lead. It was Pool’s first goal since New Year’s Day and ended a run of 418 minutes without scoring.

The run, however, was still some way shy of their alltime record – 1,227 minutes from 1992.

Neil Austin’s ball over the back line fell to the midfielder and he had ample time to finish past Stuart Nelson for his fourth of the season.

The knock did, however affect Pearce and he was somewhat fortunate to stay on the pitch after losing his bearings and pulling back Donaldson when he was in on goal.

That the debutant was 40 yards away from goal helped his cause and referee Oliver Langford – the official who awarded Colchester a penalty for a Peter Hartley handball outside the area earlier this season – showed yellow after asking advice.

But when Notts put Hughes on at the break, the complexion of the game changed.

Strong and bullish, Hughes should have scored within minutes, but when John Thompson headed down into the six-yard box, Hughes pushed his shot inches wide.

Peter Hartley recovered from the illness that forced him off at Peterborough on Saturday and he had a running battle with the striker, as they exchanged fouls within minutes, the defender booked.

In a rare Pools’ foray into the visiting area, Joe Gamble, on for the concussed Liddle, charged beyond the defenders, but his touch was heavy and he fired across goal.

Kean made a firm save to keep out a teaser from distance from Dave Martin, but was beaten when Karl Hawley headed down for Hughes to steal space to tap in.

But after the goal, Notts failed to create and instead big chances fell to Pools, who looked the most likely winners.

A flowing and incisive move on the right saw Neil Austin feed Gamble, who crossed for James Brown.

His nod back was perfect for Austin, who continued his run ahead but couldn’t get over the ball and sent it high over the goal.

And in injury time, Monkhouse saved his best contribution for last. Picking up possession 25 yards out he went for the top corner and goalkeeper Stuart Nelson dived backwards to keep the ball out.

MATCHFACTS

Goals: Liddle (38, 1-0); Hughes (69, 1-1)
Bookings: Pearce (42, foul), Hartley (52, foul)
Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands) 5
Attendance: 2,545
Entertainment: **

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-5-1): Kean 7 Austin 6, Collins 6, Hartley 7, Horwood 6; McSWEENEY 7 (Boyd 84), Murray 6, Sweeney 5, Liddle 7 (Gamble 46, 6), Monkhouse 5; Donaldson 5 (Brown 71). Subs (not used): Flinders (gk), Humphreys, Yantorno, Haslam.

NOTTS COUNTY (4-4-2): Nelson 7; Darby 5, Lee 7, Pearce 6 (Hawley 44), Harley 5; Judge 6, THOMPSON 7, Bishop 6, Martin 6 (Gobern 89); Westcarr 5, Burgess 4, (Hughes 46, 7). Subs (not used): Smith, Burch (gk), Spicer, Williamson

MAN OF THE MATCH

LEON McSweeney – bright and incisive in possession and enjoying a sustained spell in the side.