ANOTHER day, another last-second winner.

Hartlepool United might not be going into the FA Cup break in the top seven in the National League, but they are not a million miles away.

They are one point from the play-off positions after Jonathan Franks slotted the decisive goal at Solihull Moors.

His cool finish in the 90th minute in front of a record Damson Park crowd followed on from that Michael Woods header deep into the added time for the linesman’s exit against Barrow last Tuesday.

No matter what the circumstances, Pools have a winning feeling, as boss Craig Harrison was eager to get across.

“I am a winner, all the staff are winners and I want the players the same,” said the manager, with South Shields next on the horizon.

“I want the club to have a winning mentality. It’s showing, the players are not settling for a draw.

“What we have in the dressing room, that spirit, togetherness and desire is something that can’t be bought.

“They will go until the final whistle to win the football game.”

It wasn’t pretty on the outskirts of Birmingham, but the result was everything as Pools climbed to 13th, a point outside the top seven.

Pools struggled to get going against a side with the bit between their teeth.

Solihull Moors rose to the occasion. Rooted in the relegation zone, they had a new boss in Richard Monday to impress, not to mention a record attendance as the parading of the club’s youth brigade swelled numbers five-fold.

The first half was a non-event for Pools, who, a Scott Harrison shot from the edge of the area and Devante Rodney ball across the face of the goal aside, offered little, which was a little concerning.

Thankfully, goalkeeper Scott Loach was on his guard, denying Wes McDonald and saving George Carline’s free header onto the bar.

Pools were lacking in all areas but, to the credit of Harrison, he was not averse to changing it.

On came Jack Munns and Rhys Oates and the manager was soon admiring his handiwork. Munns found space for himself in the area and got the ball across goal and Oates did the rest with his right boot.

It silenced the home fans who had only just stopped applauding their junior section, while it woke the 339 travelling fans who slept through the first 45 minutes.

With Munns bright and Oates doing the running, all was good for the side in all grey, who threatened more.

Rodney, who performed better before tiring, displayed the side’s confidence best, trying his luck first time from outside the box.

He was nowhere near with his effort, but it did not deter him from having another go and next time he was on target with Nathan Vaughan making a strong stop.

Moors, for all they began to push Pools back, were hardly a danger and the saves made by Loach were solid, rather than worldies.

Everyone in the ground knew it was going to end 1-0. Except one man.

Five minutes from time home sub Richard Brodie took a tumble under the slightest of pressure from Louis Laing.

The player and crowd bayed for a penalty and referee Matthew Donohue did not let them down.

And Darren Carter did not let Solihull down, sending Loach the wrong way.

A draw would have been a fair result, but the Pools ‘winners’ decided otherwise.

Pools sent the big lads forward from a free-kick on half way and a flick on from Munns’s set-play found Franks who scored at the keeper’s near post from the right side of the six-yard box.

Franks has already scored some vital goals since his return to the club and this, his fifth, is right up there.

However, the introduction of Oates and Munns was undoubtedly the key moment of the contest.

“I thought they made a huge impact and for that first 20 minutes of the second half we played well,” said Harrison. “We were really good.

“We maybe took our foot off the pedal a bit when I’d like to have seen us go for the jugular.

“It’s sometimes natural to find yourselves dropping deeper as a defence but that was a very poor penalty.

“That was never in a hundred years a penalty - was it the wind that blew him over?

“He’s done his job and got the decision and the lad has tucked it away.

“But the lads showed the grit, character, determination, commitment and togetherness to go and win the game with just a few minutes left.”