TO herald the Chinese New Year, 2016 is the Year of the Monkey. On this showing it’s going to be a very long one for Hartlepool United.

The Monkey Hangers were woeful in the main last night as they fell to defeat against a Stevenage side without a win in nine before this encounter.

It appears even too much to ask for the Day of the Monkey, let alone a full year.

Once again, a poor team were made to look good at Victoria Park, allowed to dictate the game from the off. It was too easy and too comfortable for the visitors for long periods.

This was the first home game of three for Pools in the space of seven days. Some improvements, and major ones at that, are needed for when Yeovil and Notts County visit next.

Eight home defeats in League Two this season and Pools still have eight more to come.

Worrying there was a lack of leaders on the pitch last night. Boro, who sacked Teddy Sheringham last week, were quick to close down to stop Pools getting into any semblance of a game plan.

Confidence is clearly a low commodity at Victoria Park within this squad.

They were lucky not to be two goals down after 11 minutes last night, but no-one was surprised when Boro went two up with the second-half in its infancy.

That Pools got one back through Billy Paynter gave them hope and they chased an equaliser, when it didn’t come they were booed off at full-time once again.

Boss Ronnie Moore said: “It’s very frustrating, we are devastated when you look how important it was. There’s game in hand, but lose them and you are in trouble.

“Dagenham lost and this was a great chance to close the gap on Stevenage with five games in hand. I couldn’t believe the first 35-40 minutes. We spoke about getting in behind them, causing problems.

“But we have to pass it, play, get in at the right times. We look like a bag of nerves. Our keeper makes two world-class saves to keep it 0-0 early on.

“We let the lad come across on his left-foot to shot into the top corner. We talk at half-time about doing it right and concede a sloppy one again.

“At two-nil they sit deep and we haven’t taken the chances.

“I didn’t see that performance coming, I honestly didn’t. Players have to give more as a team, more as individuals. We have better players than last year as individuals, but as a team do we show that same willingness to play as a group?’’

Goalkeeper Trevor Carson saved Pools twice and only 11 minutes were gone.

Aaron O’Connor got above Jordan Richards to head at goal firmly, but Carson produced early heroics to keep it out.

Three minutes later, he did just as well to deny midfielder Charlie Lee.

Pools did make five changes to the starting line-up and, one of them, Luke James was back at the club on loan from Peterborough.

He did shoot high and wide on 20 minutes in a rare Pools sortee.

Carl Magnay, another to return, connected well from a corner to drag Jamie Jones into action in the visiting goal.

That, however, was a rare one from Pools. Boro were mostly quicker to the ball and they closed down the home side at every opportunity.

As half-time approached, Pools trailed. From a Pools attack, with Nathan Thomas laid out in the opposition penalty area, full-back Ronnie Henry got forward on the right once again, attacking space left by Jake Carroll. When he fed substitute Tom Conlon, he cut across the committed Magnay easily and smashed high past Carson.

Moore sent them out early for the second-half, looking for a reaction. It didn’t happen and they were soon two down.

Conlon netted from close range, tapping in after the defence was carved open too easily.

Paynter neat volley, angled in from a Jordan Richards cross got them back into it.

Right-back Richards, growing into the game, had a cracking volley pawed out by Jones. Paynter could have had a second, but picked out a defender on the line.

But the game petered out, five minutes of injury time passed them by.

Moore concluded: “We need a four/five game winning run. Can we do it? We have to give more as individuals and a team. Against a team which hasn’t won for donkeys, we look like the team everyone wants to play. Teams are rubbing their hands when we come to town.

“I’ve never had it as a manager – my teams put a shift in, this team looks like it’s got no guidance.’’