WHAT a difference a win or four makes.

Hartlepool United's previous home defeat was greeted by a furious reaction as though Armageddon was just around the corner.

Saturday? Pools were applauded off by their fans, despite the fact Craig Harrison’s team had suffered their first loss in six games.

Football fans may miss a tactical nuance or two, but they know effort when they see it and Pools did not let them or themselves down on that front against Eastleigh.

Whether the Spitfires, who have lost only twice this season, deserved to emerge with the spoils is a moot point.

Goals at the start of the second period from Callum Howe and Mark Yeates gave a first victory in six to a team who arrived at Victoria Park set up to draw, only to leave with all three points.

Jack Munns scored a fine goal at the end, his first since his summer move from Cheltenham, but it proved only a consolation as Pools slipped to 17th, though still a mere five points off the top seven.

Harrison was frustrated by the way his side conceded those two goals in the space of six minutes, but overall had no complaints about the end of the unbeaten run.

“It was probably a six or six and a half out of 10 (performance),” he reflected.

“We did enough to get a point to keep our run going, possibly did enough to win.

“It would not have been a classic by any stretch of the imagination but the lads worked hard, gave everything they had and created opportunities.

“We didn’t defend our set-plays well and didn’t take our opportunities.

“I’m not sure why, there was probably a little five per cent of spark not there (in the performance), a bit of quality missing.

“It was probably more down to the way they lowered the tempo.

“You think you should be able to raise the tempo but it’s easier said than done.”

When Pools played with any sort of vibrancy they looked good.

The first half was anything but vibrant. Eastleigh displayed little in the way of urgency, indeed they were wasting the seconds from early in the match.

When Pools did up the pace, they went close through Ryan Donaldson whose 32nd-minute shot went just over the bar.

If any team was going to press forward to get the winner, it was surely Pools.

It was highly surprising therefore that it was the Hampshire side who came out of the blocks quickest in the second half.

They forced Scott Loach into work immediately, forcing a corner. And when Pools could not clear their lines, centre-back Howe scrambled the ball in from inside the six-yard box.

Pools responded immediately when Rhys Oates headed narrowly wide from a Nicky Deverdics cross.

However, it was 2-0 in the 52nd minute and this time the goal had genuine quality.

Pools could not defend another ball into their area, but the finish of Yeates was top drawer as he beat Loach to his right.

A couple of counter-attacks aside, hat was it from Eastleigh, who proceeded to eat up more time.

With well over half an hour left, time was something Pools had on heir side.

Harrison brought fit-again Connor Simpson and Devanate Rodney of the bench and they led the attack with vigour.

Rodney passed up a gilt-edged chance midway through the half when, with just Graham Stack to beat, he shot straight at the keeper.

Simpson was off-target with a shot, Stack saved a low, but tame, Rodney effort and Munns was just wide following a corner.

With defender Louis Laing throw forward, Pools battled to the end and when Munns engineered some space at the edge of the area, his low left-footer was too good for Stack.

Rodney had another attempt deep into stoppage time, which Stack saved with ease.

It was a case of ‘what ifs?’ for Pools at both ends of the park – if only they had defended better, if only their forwards had their shooting boots on.

“We weren’t great, we weren’t bad, but they weren’t good either,” said Harrison. “The game was there to be won.

“We probably had more opportunities than we had against Dagenham, Wrexham and Leyton Orient put together.

“The difference was in those games we defended set plays really well.

“Here our defending at set-plays was really poor.

“I’ve watched them back and for both Eastleigh goals we’ve had our set-up wrong, individuals have not done their jobs.

“That was the difference.”