TEN-MAN HARTLEPOOL UNITED played out a frantic thriller with Newport County, drawing 2-2.

Toto Nsiala was sent off after three minutes for deliberate handball, by then Pools were already one-up, and a minute later it was 1-1.

Pools took the lead when midfielder Nicky Featherstone volleyed in after a burst into the area to meet a Michael Woods pass.

But from the restart Pools’ defender Nsiala was caught flat-footed and deliberately handled on the edge of the area

From the free-kick, Sean Rigg drilled low under the defensive wall and into the bottom corner.

Pools regrouped and put Nicky Featherstone to centre-half and dropped Padraig Amond into midfield in a 4-4-1 set-up. Lewis Alessandra should have put Pools ahead, but drove a low finish wide.

But striker Jon Parkin produced fine piece of skill to put the Exiles ahead. He chested the ball down, turned and fired a dipping volley low into the net from 25 yards.

Pools soon levelled, Amond left unmarked to head in a corner.

The ten-men took the game to the Exiles in the second-half as they looked to win it.

Nathan Thomas saw a 30-yard shot tipped over the bar, Jordan Richards curled a free-kick wide.

But the Exiles went close on 89 minutes when Sean Rigg turned and blazed over from six yards.

Nsiala will be suspended for Wednesday's Football League Trophy game at Notts County, and Pools will also be without Liam  Donnelly for the next two games. 

He made his debut as a substitute against Newport, but has been called into the Northern Ireland Under-21 squad for two games with Iceland on Friday and in Macedonia next Tuesday.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2): Carson; Richards, Nsiala, Bates (Donnelly 75), Carroll; Alessandra, Featherstone, Woods, Thomas; Paynter (Harrison 57), Amond (Hawkins 81). Subs: Bartlett (gk), Oates, Deverdics, Laurent.

NEWPORT COUNTY (4-4-2): Day; Bignot, Jones, Bennett, Butler; Jackson (Barnum-Bobb 76), Randall, Labadie (Tozer 64), Myrie-Williams (Compton 53); Parkin, Rigg. Subs: Bittner (gk), Owen-Evans, Sheehan, Green.