Final Score: Hartlepool United 0 Carlisle United 3

SAM COLLINS and Stephen Pears will take charge of Hartlepool United tomorrow night.

Following Colin Cooper’s resignation in the aftermath of Saturday’s 3-0 humbling by Carlise at Victoria Park, the club’s reserve team coach and assistant boss will be in control.

Neither will be in contention to replace Cooper on a permanent basis, as chairman Ken Hodcroft plots his 11th permanent managerial appointment since taking charge in 1997.

Cooper leaves with Pools precariously placed at the bottom of the Football League, a position they have not been since November 2001.

Pools were well beaten by a Carlisle side who have now won back to back games after going 16 games without a victory.

That run cost boss Graham Kavanagh his job and he was replaced by Keith Curle, assisted by ex-Pools’ number two Colin West.

Kavanagh was at Victoria Park on Saturday, alongside former Darlington chief David Hodgson. Kavanagh was last night installed as 2/1 favourite with one bookmaker for the vacant post and lives just outside Hartlepool.

He was linked with the job when Cooper was appointed in May 2013.

Brian Laws, the ex-Scunthorpe boss, is in the running and was backed in from 33/1 to 8/1 last night.

He was interviewed for the position in November 2012 before returning to his former club and John Hughes was instead appointed by Pools.

Mark Venus, born in Hartlepool and assistant manager at Middlesbrough under Tony Mowbray is understood to be keen on the job at one of his former clubs.

And Richard Barker, who helped Pools to promotion in 2007, has been linked. However, it is understood he would be loathe to leave his coaching position at MK Dons to return to front-line management.

Cooper quit immediately following Saturday’s defeat. After going two goals down in the 83rd minute, the home crowd turned on their manager. He resigned shortly after the final whistle, informing Hodcroft of his decision, before leaving Victoria Park for the final time.

Cooper has been frustrated of late at the club’s intransigent outlook. Hamstrung by a tight budget and a lack of finance.

After accepting the club’s stance on Financial Fair Play rules, in the last two weeks he has stated in press conferences that the purse strings had been loosened.

However, he failed to make any inroads in the transfer market, and last week considered deals for two free agents in Clinton Morrison and Jordan Laidler, with neither of them signing for the weekend defeat.

Pools could have been two goals down in the opening minutes, but goalkeeper Scott Flinders twice saved his side.

They managed a shot on target on 53 minutes, Jon Franks seeing his effort saved. It was their first effort on target since Franks had a low finish saved in the 45th minute of the 2-0 defeat at Plymouth two weeks ago.

The opening goal came when a long throw was nodded in by debutant Steven Rigg.

Pools did have a burst forward in search of a leveller, Michael Duckworth’s deflected shot headed off the line.

“At 0-0, Hartlepool are a goal threat and busy, but we got that little bit of luck we needed to go in front,’’ said Curle. 

"We blocked shots in and around, made a goalline clearance, and there was a little lack of quality from Hartlepool in and around the final third, but we win by being prepared and doing our job and giving everything we have got.’’

The second goal saw Steven Elliott, the former Sunderland striker, slide his finish into the net, before Mark Beck made it three on 89 minutes.