HARTLEPOOL UNITED secured a spot in Monday’s first round FA Cup draw, with a second-half comeback to see off South Shields.

The Tynesiders could count themselves unfortunate not to be out of sight at half-time, but Pools – three divisions above Shields - came through unscathed.

Pools started well and took the game to the home side in the early minutes, their first chance coming when Jack Munns saw a shot saved.

But Shields grew into the game and took the lead on 25 minutes. A long ball from the back by Jon Shaw saw Carl Finnigan turn past Scott Harrison and fire home to send the home fans wild.

Julio Arca - later to go off injured - then picked out Finnigan in the area and he fired wide.

Shields should have been two up when the ball spun up after Finnigan’s shot was blocked, Matty Pattison picked his spot and keeper Scott Loach saved well.

Then former Newcastle trainee Pattinson cut inside to curl a shot against the bar.

Shields were made to pay for their misses openings, as the National League side turned the game around in four second-half minutes.

Jonathan Franks picked out the unmarked Devante Rodney and he netted low from ten yards.

And when Rhys Oates was felled 25 yards out, Nicky Deverdics stepped up to curl a superb free-kick around the wall and past keeper Jack Norton.

From then on, Pools controlled the game, giving the home side little. Loach had to be off his line smartly to smother a low Gavin Cogden effort, but they saw it out comfortably.

Harrison said: “I felt we played well – until they scored we controlled possession and had opportunities.

“We just didn’t get bodies in the box on the end of good crosses.

“We almost panicked a bit when they scored and they came into it. We controlled it until they scored and second-half there was only one team going to win it.

“I’m really pleased for the lads and they showed great, great character.

“Their goal came against the run of play – we must have had 70-80 per cent possession at the time.

“We were in dangerous areas without picking the right cross or pass. They scored and it’s down to a mistake – Scotty (Harrison) slipped and should have dealt with it better.

“But we showed character in the second half, came out and took the game to them.’’

SOUTH SHIELDS (4-4-2): Norton; Baxter, Shaw, Morse, Callaghan; Briggs, Arca (Stevenson 67), Pattison, Smith; Finnigan, Cogden. Subs: Storey, Lough, Nicholson, Stephenson, Richardson, Sullivan, Connell.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-3-3): Loach; Ledger, Laing, Harrison, Deverdics; Woods, Featherstone, Munns (Adams 60 ); Franks, Oates, Rodney (Hawkins 75). Subs: Richardson, Thorne, Catterick (gk), Simpson.

Referee: Peter Wright (Liverpool)