"FOR anyone expecting the same result this time I can reassure them that it won't be the case. This is a different Swansea City,'' Brian Flynn, Friday.

A different Swansea City it was. And one worse than the side trounced 7-1 by Hartlepool United last season.

Somehow it was only four as the leaders extended their lead at the top to 14 points and missed more clear cut chances in this game than most teams manage in a season against a team allegedly in form and second only to Pool in the Third Division form table.

It's no exaggeration to say that Pool could have been celebrating a new record win, never mind a seasonal best, they should certainly have been sending Swansea back home with a defeat heavier than last season's.

It's ten games without defeat for Pool, eight of those wins, a run which has saw the Pool defence breached on five occasions. Swansea never threatened breaking that statistic.

Mike Newell had to warn his players about the dangers of showboating; Flynn was more concerned with damage limitation.

Swansea had Marc Richards sent off and then lost keeper Roger Freestone through injury. Without a replacement keeper at the club, never mind on the bench, defender Alan Tate went in goal.

Born in Murton, he's on loan from Manchester United - it's not like this at Old Trafford is it? Never mind Manchester United, Swansea were more like Murton Village Inn, but without the class.

"I had to tell the lads at half-time not to showboat,'' said Newell. "That doesn't impress me and I'd rather do things right.''

Ritchie Humphreys was the one to do it right in front of goal and made the most of the chances, netting a hat-trick to take his seasonal tally to nine, his most prolific season in terms of both scoring and surely performance.

"Ritchie opens things up both for himself and other people, so it's nice for him to get the match ball,'' added Newell.

"Sometimes it takes that little bit extra, that little bit of quality to break teams down, but having said that we created chances and a lot of chances as well.

"Sometimes you think it's going to be one of those days, but we were on top. It could have been a lot more, but you can get greedy at times can't you?

"We had a little spell after the break where we were a little bit unsure of what was going to happen and we started to pass in the wrong areas and overpass.

"It doesn't matter how much of the ball you have, there's got to be something at the end of it.

"They had their keeper go off as well and then didn't have another on the bench, when you are down at the bottom everything goes against you.

"Swansea have picked up a lot of points lately and we expected it to be hard.

"They have a threat up front so you are always a little bit worried when you don't put chances away.''

And there were plenty of chances - clear chances - that Pool didn't put away.

Eifion Williams chipped Freestone, but sent it the wrong side of goal, Adam Boyd sidefooted wide from a slide rule Humphreys pass, Williams volleyed wide from six yards, Darrell Clarke chipped over Freestone and over the bar, Williams crossed low but out of the reach of Boyd and Clarke, the same pair got in each others way as another goal looked on.

And then came the biggest of them all. Adam Boyd sidefooted wide of an open Town End goal as stand in keeper Tate went walkabout.

Perhaps Boyd has watched Ryan Giggs and Ronnie Rosenthal on TV too much over the last week.

But this was the Humphreys Show. His first was created from nothing in midfield. He knocked the ball around Andrew Mumford, skipped around the midfielder like he wasn't there, raced forward and whacked in off the post.

Number two was unselfishly set up by Boyd and tapped in, the third a rare header at the back post from Micky Barron's cross.

Barron was the victim of an ungamely two-handed shove from Richards in the first half and referee Neale Barry - back in the North-East for the first time since sending off Newcastle's Laurent Robert a fortnight earlier - flashed red.

Widdrington's first of the season - and the best goal celebrations of the season - was a tap-in thanks to a Darrell Clarke assist.

The downside to the win was the shameful attendance. Under 4,500 bothered to turn up, a gate somehow 500 down on the previous home win.

Even those who didn't go to York the week before can't fail to have been impressed by Pool on the TV.

Pool have won more home games than anyone in England, scored more goals than everyone bar Forest and Portsmouth and are going to win the League - but in front of disappointing home crowds.

This team deserves better.

Result: Hartlepool United 4 Swansea City 0.

Read more about Hartlepool here.