HARTLEPOOL UNITED lost their second home game of the week, going down 4-1 to Luton.

Pools were left to rue problems in both penalty areas as they shipped four goals, while missing a string of chances at the opposite end.

The opening half was an entertaining affair, with Pools on top and the half-time talk was of Ronnie Moore’s side going on to win it.

Instead, they conceded two goals in four second-half minutes to turn the game on its head.

Rakish Bingham could have fired Pools ahead in the opening minutes – first he volleyed wide and then fired into keeper Mark Tyler.

Pools trailed on 17 minutes when Adam Bartlett pushed out a Luke Guttridge effort and midfielder Jonathan Smith ran onto the ball to crack in.

On 44 minutes it was 1-1, Rhys Oates swinging over a lovely cross and Billy Paynter was on the end of it to head in.

But the opening half promise evaporated.

A pass from the back split the defence and Jack Marriott poked in under Bartlett after getting in behind Scott Harrison.

Then right-back Brad Halliday missed the ball and from a low cross Marriott tapped in.

Pools had four good chances to score – and all were missed. Bingham had three saved by Tyler, Nicky Featherstone also fired wide.

And Luton punished Pools in injury time as Ollie Lee, son of former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee, cracked into the top corner.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Bartlett; Halliday, Harrison, Boyce, Carroll; Smith, Magnay, Woods (Featherstone 84), Oates; Paynter (Fenwick 72), Bingham. Subs: Carson (gk), Bates, Walker, Oyenuga, Jones.

LUTON TOWN: Tyler; Cuthbert, McNulty, Wilkinson, Griffiths; Lee, Smith; McGeehan, McQuoid (Doyle 80), Guttridge; Mackail-Smith (Marriott 28). Subs: Potts, Lawless, Hall, Green, Justham.

Referee: Richard Clark (Morpeth)

Attendance: 3,876

HOW TWITTER REACTED TO THE DEFEAT:

Ben Spowart⚽ ‏@ben31198 

"Someone described the way we concede goals are like 'dominos' I completely agree, one goes in after another. Stand up, put a tackle in #HUFC"

Lee Johnson ‏@Lee5_1Johnson 

"Young lad Bingham had enough chances to win two games.....maybe the wide rolls ruined that kids confidence #hufc"

Grahamo ‏@grahamo39 

"No excuse for that display time to take stock #HUFC"