HARTLEPOOL UNITED lost their second away game of the week to fall to second bottom in the League Two table.

After being whacked 5-1 at Northampton on Tuesday, they were beaten 2-0 at Plymouth.

While there wasn’t the defensive capitulation witnessed at Sixfields, there was still disappointment in the nature of the goals conceded.

Pools had plenty of possession and created chances, but were unable to convert any or really test home keeper Luke McCormick.

After a bit of a shaky defensive opening, Pools trailed when Marvin Morgan – whose partner gave birth to the couple’s first child in Newcastle on Tuesday – found space ahead of Jordan Richards, to turn and fire low across Scott Flinders.

After Bradley Walker fired a short-corner routine over the bar, Pools found their feet and saw plenty of the ball.

Their best chance came when Marlon Harewood laid the ball into Jonathan Franks and, faced with keeper Luke McCormick to beat, the strikers’ shot was smothered as the half-time whistle followed.

The second-half started in the same manner, with Pools in the ascendency  but unable to create clear openings.

Tommy  Miller fired over, Jack Compton saw a shot blocked and twice Franks took the wrong option when breaking into the area – the first time after Peter Hartley, the former Pools skipper, missed his attempted clearance.

And they were caught out when a long pass from Dominic Blizzard caught the Pools back four pushing up, playing Nathan Thomas onside and he broke away from deep to finish the game off. 

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE: McCormick; Mellor, Nelson, Hartley (McHugh 56), Purrington; Allesandra, Cox, O’Connor, Blizzard; Reid (Thomas 46), Morgan (Harvey 86). Subs: Bittner (gk), Norburn, Allen, Bentley.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders; Richards, Harrison, Bates, Austin; Brobbel (Holden 76), Miller, Walker, Compton; Harewood, Franks (Woods 63). Subs: Collins, Hawkins, Jones, Duckworth, Woodman (gk)