HARTLEPOOL UNITED eased into the second round of the FA Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Stamford.

With 93 places separating the sides in the Football League ladder, the lowest ranked side left in the competition were well beat.

Pools hit the bar on 20 minutes through Nicky Deverdics and Padraig Amond missed the follow up.

But in a first-half controlled by the League Two side, the Daniels, backed by 505 travelling fans, had a sniff of goal as the half ended.

Kern Miller flashed a low shot wide from the right side of the area, then Jevani Brown’s rising shot wasn’t any trouble.

From a deep corner, Miller rose highest to plant a header wide, but that was as good as it got.

Pools’ incessant possession was rewarded late on.

Right-back Jordan Richards’ shot was going wide before Delroy Gordon hacked the ball into his own net on 82 minutes.

And on 85 minutes, Pools skipper Billy Paynter met a Deverdics cross to curl in a header.