Hartlepool United 3 Stockport County 0

THE up and down nature of Hartlepool United’s season continued last night with a much-needed victory easing the pressure at the wrong end of League One.

After losing so meekly at Yeovil at the weekend and facing a possible points deduction from the FA, nothing less than a win would suffice.

And the players delivered when it mattered, coasting to a fourth home victory from five outings to put seven points between themselves and the bottom four.

And Tranmere’s 3-0 home defeat to Wycombe did Chris Turner and his side a massive favour.

“The table looks a lot better now,’’ said Turner. “It was an excellent performance and, with them being relegated at the weekend, we didn’t know what we would be up against.

“We scored three quality goals, a pleasing victory and other results have been good for us – Wycombe winning at Tranmere especially.

“The players looked tired at the weekend, but they came back in style.

“The team did everything we asked from them and it’s three wins from four now. We are a mid-table League One side and a lot of clubs have been flirting with the bottom four like we have been.”

Yet before Pools took the lead, the already-relegated visitors could have been in front, with two chances in quick succession.

First Scott Flinders was off his line to deny the advancing Jabo Ibehre and, from the following corner, central defender Paul Huntingdon blazed high over when he should have scored.

But that was that as good as it got in the first-half for County; a minute later Pools took the lead.

Roy O’Donovan’s goalbound shot was pushed away for a corner and, after it was returned towards the area, Joe Gamble’s low dipping shot found the corner of the net – his second goal for the club.

From then on, it was oneway first-half traffic.

Goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams, inspired at Victoria Park last season when County stole a 1-0 win, was doing his best to keep the score down. He kept out James Brown – enjoying his brightest outing since returning from knee trouble – when the recalled striker took a pass from Leon McSweeney.

Then Gamble’s ball into O’- Donovan created another chance which was kept out by the goalkeeper.

Brown and O’Donovan were then denied by defensive blocks.

Monkhouse fired against the post, but soon celebrated his 11th of the season – equalling his number of bookings.

McSweeney, in inspired form against his former club, sent over a teasing cross to the far post and Monkhouse ran in unchecked to tap in.

“Leon McSweeney’s cross for the second goal was perfect and he has been playing well lately. We switched him to the right flank and he did well,’’ added Turner. “Andy Monkhouse has 11 goals for the season now and performed like we know he is capable of doing.”

Stockport showed why they were heading for League Two.

They struggled, to really threaten, but Flinders had to make another save on 63 minutes, diving across goal to deny George Donnelly.

Coasting to victory and still the home crowd were still unhappy, calling for the manager to leave. The chairman’s programme notes hinted the knockers would have a long wait for that to happen.

But they were silenced in injury time as O’Donovan took possession, raced in to the box and confidently steered in his sixth goal since moving on loan from Sunderland.

Goals: Gamble (14, 1-0); Monkhouse (56, 2-0); O’Donovan (90, 3-0)
Bookings: Donnelly (49, kicking ball away); Perkins (54, foul); McSweeney (60, foul); Brown (62, unsporting behaviour); Halls (62, unsporting behaviour)
Referee: Andy Hall (Walsall) 4
Attendance: 2,869
Entertainment: ✰✰✰

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2): Flinders 7; Austin 7, Collins 6 (Clark 46, 7), Hartley 6, Haslam 6; Mc- Sweeney 8 (Sweeney 89), Gamble 6, Humphreys 7, Monkhouse 7; BROWN 8 (Boyd 78), O’Donovan 6. Subs (not used): Cook (gk), Jones, Boyd, Larkin, Bjornsson.

STOCKPORT: FON WILLIAMS 7 Halls 5, Huntingdon 6, Swailes 5, Sadler 4; Partridge 4 (Vincent 73), Perkins 5, Turnbull 5, Poole 6 (Johnson 74); Donnelly 6, Ibehre 4. Subs (not used): Gerrard (gk), Rowe, Barnes, Murty.

MAN OF THE MATCH: JAMES Brown – his brightest display since returning from injury