HARTLEPOOL UNITED earned a first away win since October and kept a first away clean sheet since last March in victory at Morecambe.

A fully-committed and honest display from Ronnie Moore’s side means the gap to safety is now back to six points, with a trip to Oxford to come on Tuesday night.

Pools have only scored nine times away from home, and they needed an own goal to win this one.

A raking pass from Nicky Featherstone split the home defenders, Ryan Bird nipped in and hesitated, but defender Andy Parrish got a touch to knock it past his own keeper.

Bird later had a shot knocked off the line after skirting around keeper Andreas Arestidou, but the second half was about Pools defending.

Scott Harrison was majestic in a three-man defence, and he won three towering headers in the six minutes of added on time to see Pools home in front of 3-7 ecstatic fans.

The Shrimps’ Kevin Ellison clipped the crossbar from close-range, Scott Flinders saved well from an Ellison shot, Featherstone cleared the follow up off the line and then David Mirfin flung himself in front of a goalbound shot. 

“It was a committed performance to be fair,’’ said boss Ronnie Moore. "Players put their bodies on the line, the keeper made some good saves and we have deserved the win.

“We changed formation – they have played 3-5-2 all season so we match them up and then they go and change to 4-4-2... the best laid plans and all that.

“But we stuck at the system and it worked well. The players suited it, the lads up front worked hard and we had bodies back to defend.

“The three central-defenders were solid and Scott Harrison was majestic – and he has been since he signed from Sunderland.

“We’ve had great support again, signing from start to finish, we’ve got that win out of the way now and the clean sheet too.''

Opposition boss Jim Bentley said: "Fair play to them, they got the goal, dug in, rode their luck and saw it out with some luck.

“We created chances all game, had opportunities and got done by a ridiculous goal.

“We talk about being solid and compact at the back. It was a shanked clearance between the defenders, shocking communication, it’s got to be dealt with, and whatever happens it doesn’t happen like that with a goal.’’

MORECAMBE: Arestidou; Beeley (McGowan 86), Hughes, Parrish, Wilson; Mullin (Sampson 66), Wright (Drummond 66), Fleming; Amond, Redshaw, Ellison. Subs: Stewart, Kenyon, Williams, Goodall.

HARTLEPOOL: Flinders; Harrison, Mirfin, Jones; Austin, Walker (Hawkins 72), Featherstone, Tshibola, Duckworth; Bird, Franks. Subs: Maxted (gk), Holden, Harewood, Richards, Smith, J Jones.