HARTLEPOOL UNITED got off to a winning start in League Two, seeing off Morecambe 2-0 at Victoria Park.

Pools gave an energetic performance throughout and, while they may have rode their defensive luck at times, this was a display of some promise.

After playing 3-5-2 throughout pre-season, Pools started with a 4-3-3 set-up and their three-man front line worked tirelessly.

Billy Paynter and Rakish Bingham scored the goals, the pair linking up well throughout. 

Moore has signed ten new players this summer and two of them, strikers Rakish Bingham and Billy Paynter linked up to score the goals for their new side.

After Ryan Edwards headed a against the crossbar, Pools took the lead.

Michael Woods’ piledriver shot was saved and pushed wide, Bingham picked up the loose ball and crossed for Paynter to nod in his 100th Football League goal.

Jamie Devitt should have levelled before the break, he beat the offside trap, rounded debutant keeper Adam Bartlett but fired wide.

Bartlett started with Trevor Carson injured and Carson could be out for a few weeks with a fractured toe.

At the start of the second half Lee Molyneux poked wide of an open goal from eight yards.

Bingham got in behind the back four, beating full back Laurence Wilson but failed to score or find a teammate in the area.

But he made no mistake when Paynter’s deft chip played him and he drilled low under Roche for a fine finish for a debut goal.

Moore beamed: “I thought it was entertaining – good crowd, great atmosphere,’’ reflected Moore. “We were better side first half, they were second. We changed to three up front and it caught up with us later on in the second half, there’s things to work  on but it was promising and I can’t ask for much more.

“We rode out luck a bit then they hit the bar and our keeper made a great save to keep it out. We will play worse and win, play better and lose.

“Pleasing thing, as always, was a clean sheet. The keeper was on top form and with that sort of effort and work we will be good.’’

Opposite number Jim Bentley said: "They took their chances, and we never. We've had enough chances to win more than one game today.

"We were a little unlucky. We've hit the crossbar twice, had a goal disallowed and got into some great areas.

"We can't be too downhearted. We've created enough chances to win the game, but that's football. You have to take them.

"Performance-wise, we were very good. We were away at a tough place so it was decent enough."

HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Bartlett; Duckworth, Harrison, Worley, Carroll; Magnay, Featherstone, Woods; Paynter, Bingham (Oates 86), Fenwick (Smith 81). Subs: Denton (gk), Bates, Oyenuga, Nelson-Addy, Hawkins.

MORECAMBE: Roche; Wilson, Parrish, Edwards, Lawrence; Beeley; Ellison, Murphy (Kenyon 11), Wildig (Miller 71), Molyneux; Mullin (Ryan 85), Devitt. Subs: Thomspon (gk), McGowan, Kenyon, Goodall, Fleming.