Goals:

0-1: Conlon (45, cut inside from the right side and lashed high past Carson)

0-2: Conlon (52, tap in from close range after the defence was cut open)

1-2: Paynter (68, angled volley from a Richards cross)

Bookings: Parrett (foul, 22); Ogilvie (41, foul); Magnay (42, foul); Thomas (75, foul); Gorman (86, foul)

Referee: Ben Toner (Darwen): Few soft bookings dished out when there wasn’t really any need 5

Attendance: 3,308

Entertainment: 1/5

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2):

7 CARSON: Two saves in the first 11 minutes saved Pools from an early embarrassment and was always pressing his team-mates forward;

6 Richards: Poor opening hour, then came into the game as he pressed forward and swung over plenty of crosses from right-back

6 Bates: Seemed to be under everything with his head, as he nodded away ball after ball

5 Jackson: One of his quieter games in the middle of the back four as Bates seemed to get under most things

3 Carroll: Caught out again with another goal coming from his side, as Boro found space on the right without any fuss;

4 Hawkins: Never got started, created too little, and replaced instantly after losing the ball inside his own penalty area

3 Magnay: Took too long to get going. Started in the middle of the park after a few weeks off and looked off the pace for most of it. Dived in needlessly as the opening goal arrived

4 Gray: After being suited to an advanced midfield role, he wasn’t anywhere near as influential in a flat line of four

5 Thomas: The odd spark, first-half especially, but that was at a time when he didn’t have any options in the penalty area;

6 James: Offered some pace up front, tended to drift wide at times and try and create from there, but chances on goal were scarce

5 Paynter: Never hurt the defenders in the first-half, but took his goal very well in the second-half and looked more of a threat as the game went on.

Subs:

Fenwick (for Hawkins 59): Thrown up front in a three at a time when Pools were chasing the game 4

Laurent (for Gray 82)

Bingham (for Thomas 82)

(not used): Bartlett (gk), Harrison, Featherstone, Jones.

STEVENAGE (4-3-3): Jones 7; Henry 7, Wilkinson 5, Wells 6, Ogilvie 6; Hedges 5 (Cox 82), Lee 6, Keane 6; Pett 4 (Gorman 87), Parrett 4 (CONLON 39, 7), O’Connor 6. Subs (not used): Franks, Zanzala, Day (gk), Johnson.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Trevor Carson – kept Pools in it with two fine early stops.