HARTLEPOOL UNITED secured their first home win since mid-August, with a 1-0 victory over Cheltenham Town at Victoria Park.

But how they made hard work of it.

Pools had not won on home turf since August 18 – and they had to dig in and ride their luck to secure a spot in the second round of the FA Cup.

The Robins were relegated from the Football League last season as Pools stayed up, but there was little between the teams on this occasion, and in the second-half all the pressure and pressing came from the visitors.

Pools’ defender Matthew Bates had to be alert to clear an effort from Billy Waters.

But Pools took the lead on 45 minutes. Left-winger Kudos Oyenuga, on his first start, turned in from eight yards.

Scott Fenwick was an inch away from connecting with a low Rakish Bingham cross, but from then on all the pressure came from the visitors.

Waters headed wide, and a deep, curling cross was planted wide by advancing midfielder Harry Pell.

Trevor Carson, in the Pools goal, made a superb one-handed save to deny Pell and, in injury time, a James Dayton shot was frantically charged down by the Pools defence.

With the last kick of the game, the Robins’ Kyle Storer saw his shot hit the underside of the bar and bounce away.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Carson; Duckworth, Jackson, Bates, Carroll; Oates, Featherstone, Gray (Woods 82), Oyenuga (Banton 71); Fenwick, Paynter (Bingham 40). Subs: Bartlett (gk), Walker, Jones, Smith.

CHELTENHAM TOWN: Phillips; Dickie, Downs, Parslow, McLennan (Vaughan 71); Barthram (Dayton 54), Pell, Storer, Munns (Hall 62); Wright, Waters. Subs: Rowe, Lovett, Thomas, Dinsmore.