HARTLEPOOL United eased past a Middlesbrough reserve side at Victoria Park last night, while 200 miles up the road Boro's first team drew 1-1 with Hearts.

And while Pool came in for criticism for charging £15 for this friendly, quite why Boro sent their first team to Scotland while their reserves remained on Teesside was baffling.

Just 1,796 were inside Victoria Park to see goals from Chris Llewellyn, Micky Nelson and Darrell Clarke secure a comfortable 3-0 win.

There's no reason why Pool wouldn't have given the likes of Yakubu and Mendieta a decent work out and Darlington's Craig Liddle must hope that Boro treat him with a little more respect in his testimonial game on Saturday, when a Boro XI also travel to Bradford.

Michael Proctor was the liveliest performer in the opening stages. He tried a 30-yard lob that just evaded the target, before setting up Lee Bullock for an opening after nutmegging Seb Hines.

Pool took a deserved lead when Llewellyn cracked a drive beyond Boro keeper Ross Turnbull from 25 yards.

Adam Boyd should have made it two when he raced clear of the high back line, but Hines made up the ground to block out the striker as he made an attempt to skirt around him.

Pool were controlling the game for long periods, as they comfortably held possession, as Boro chased.

The only chance for the visitors in the opening period came towards the end, when Thomas Craddock volleyed the ball at goal from an angle, but Jim Provett pulled off a strong one-handed block.

Boro then dug out the first chance of the second period, Josh Walker pulled a low shot across replacement keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos, before the same player tried a similar short, this time curling one wide of the far post.

Tony Sweeney foraged his way forward and cut the ball back from the goalline for substitute James Brown, but Colin Cooper cut out his pass.

But from the corner, taken by Gavin Strachan, Nelson thumped a powerful header from 12 yards beyond Turnbull.

Darrell Clarke, who spent all last season on the sidelines, was given a rousing reception when he returned to Victoria Park with 15 minutes to go.

But he got an even bigger cheer on 88 minutes. After exchanging passes with James Brown he cracked the ball through Turnbull's legs to round off an easy win.

Pool: Provett (Konstantopoulos 46); Clark (Craddock 38), Nelson, Jones; Williams, Bullock (Strachan 46), Llewellyn (Butler 62), Humphreys (Clarke 75); Boyd, Proctor (Brown 62).

Boro: Turnbull; Reiziger, Cooper, Hines, Grounds; Walker (Fisher 79), Doriva, Cattermole, Owens (Robson 24; Mulligan 89); Nemeth, Craddock.

Result: Hartlepool United 3 Middlesbrough XI 0.

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