FOLLOWING the delights of last-minute goals, Hartlepool United on Saturday discovered what it’s like to be on the receiving end.

Wins over Barrow and Woking arrived thanks to scoring late on. This time they conceded against Sutton as they were denied victory.

It’s still only one defeat in 11 for Craig Harrison’s side, with Tranmere to come at home tomorrow night, but everyone left Victoria Park feeling a little deflated.

Rhys Oates gave Pools a lead they probably didn’t deserve when he tapped in during the first-half.

After a few scares, they finally succumbed some 98 and a half minutes into the game.

Luke George has waited long enough for his debut, and now he’s over a rack of injuries he was introduced to tighten things up with two minutes remaining.

He stuck out a foot to tackle Craig Eastmond, the Sutton attacker turned and fell awkwardly just as the board was going up for five minutes of added on time.

Play carried on, Eastmond being stretchered off after a five-minute delay. He later got the train back to London with his team-mates, preferring to be X-rayed at a London hospital with a suspected ankle fracture.

There was a strangely subdued atmosphere inside Victoria Park for the final minutes, nervous tension abound.

Pools sat deep, a cross from the left was headed up and on by Carl Magnay, and Tommy Wright was at the far post to volley in.

There was scarcely time for the game to restart.

“The lads are gutted to concede, but that’s not a negative,’’ insisted Harrison. “Anyone would be gutted to give a goal away in the 94th minute, but we have had the rub of the green and this time we haven’t.

“It’s two points dropped, but we have gained six points from late goals. We keep the unbeaten run going, and there’s a feeling of disappointment, but we crack on.

“Being reflective I can’t look at it with blue and white tinted glasses. We have had late goals ourselves of late. Right here, right now, it’s a feeling two points lost, but we look back at it positively.

“The lads are off Sunday now, we need a bit of space and they will warm down themselves. We have a feeling of a defeat right now, but looking back later – I’ve said before- the point could be the difference come later in the season.’’

Perhaps the late win over Barrow masked deficiencies in the performance, Pools have been grinding out results without playing to full capacity.

For this one, they looked like following suit.

After a slow start – keeper Scott Loach again giving them a level platform in the game as he made his usual saves – they took the lead.

Devante Rodney, switched to the left seconds before, cut inside and his low shot was pushed out by keeper Jamie Butler.

Rhys Oates was jonny on the spot to turn home his second in as many National League games.

Sutton, keeping with the unwritten National League guidelines that each side visiting Victoria Park must field at least one overweight centre-half in Jamie Collins – he edged out former Pools midfielder Simon Walton in the burly stakes – were keen to attack.

But Pools should have been two up and put the game out of reach.

Jonathan Franks won possession and tore into the area. He had Rodney to his left, unmarked and ready for a tap-in, but instead opted to shoot. Butler saved and pushed the ball across goal, where Rodney reacted and slid in to knock the chance wide.

Pools did defend stoutly, with Louis Laing and Michael Ledger busy. The latter gave a mature display and the centre-halves made no mistakes, a trait which has cost Pools too often this season.

“The centre-halves did brilliant and I’m pleased for Louis,’’ said Harrison. “He accepts he hasn’t performed as well as he could at the start of the season, but he’s settled down now.

“They defended great and Ledger physically imposed himself on them well. He’s come back and played right-back last week and missed a couple of days training this week. He’s played a lot of football in Norway too without having a summer break, so we have to manage him.’’

Pools were without Nicky Featherstone, and Harrison was coy on the midfielder’s absence: “Nicky wasn’t available today, but we feel he will be OK for Tuesday.’’

After the performance of Liam Donnelly in the middle of the park, Featherstone will find it hard to be back in tomorrow evening.

Three points tomorrow night and, with a trip to Torquay to come at the weekend, the week would be viewed as a positive one.

“It’s a point, we didn’t;’ play bad and it’s one defeat in 11. If we win on Tuesday, which we aim to do, we have had a good week,’’ added Harrison.

“I’ve seen the goal back, mistakes are always made when you concede, there’s a couple of little things which happened which went against us.

“They had a few lined up at the back post, finished well, but we have had the rub of the green of late and we get on with it.’’