POINT-SAVER Denis Behan used his time on the sidelines to a good advantage on Saturday.

Trailing 1-0 to Exeter in a game they could scarcely afford to lose, Hartlepool United turned to the Irishman in the second half.

And he obliged with an 80th-minute leveller to secure a 1-1 draw.

It keeps Pools four points ahead of the bottom four and, but Behan admitted Exeter played better in periods than their position below Pools suggests.

“They moved the ball around well and had a good shape about them,” he said.

“It was easy for me to come on in a game like that because I was watching for so long and I was able to spot where their weaknesses and gaps are.

“I tried to open them up as much as I could and make it stick up front because it wasn’t really doing that in the first half.

“They took a bit of a foothold in the first half and got a deserved goal but I thought in the second half we were going to go on and win it.’’ The goal marked Behan’s return from an ankle ligament injury, the second spell he’s spent on the sidelines since November.

“It’s been nearly six months injured now because I was only back two or three weeks before I went out again,’’ he reflected.

“It was good to get back and I was just happy to get a good half-hour under my belt. The recent reserve game was good for me, I got a good run-out in that game.

“I got into the six-yard box and if you don’t go in there you don’t score goals.’’ Defender Neil Austin won both the club’s player of the year and players’ player of the year awards.

“He’s been great this year from the minute he came in after eight or nine games,"

said Behan. "He can play left-back, right-back, he has everything really – pace, he’s a great defender, good delivery, he’s great for the team."

Skipper Sam Collins won the away player award.