HARTLEPOOL United and the play-offs just don't go together.

For the second season running Pool have suffered end-of-season agony.

Last year it was Darlington, this time around it was Blackpool's turn to inflict play-off pain on Chris Turner's side and you won't find anyone at Victoria Park singing the praises of the end-of-season shake-up.

Sunday's 2-0 first-leg defeat made last night's task a tough one for Pool, but another strike from Brett Ormerod after 21 minutes made it an impossible task.

Kevin Henderson gave Pool a glimmer of hope when he levelled the score on the night, but quick-fire efforts from Ormerod and John Hills left Pool again thinking what might hve been on a night when substitute Jermaine Easter was red-carded after a show of petulance.

Pool weren't put under as much pressure as they were at Bloomfield Road, when they were battered into submission, but Blackpool again controlled proceedings.

Turner's side enjoyed a League double over Steve McMahon's team, but in the play-offs it counted for nothing and Pool have missed out on a first visit to Cardiff's Millennium Stadum on May 26.

Victoria Park was the cauldron of noise Turner had called for come 7.30, the groundstaff having swept gallons of water off the saturated surface following a downpour.

Pool were handed a shock boost when influential Blackpool midfielder Paul Simpson was missing from the visitors' line-up.

Turner put James Sharp back in the team and he was soon called upon to clear his lines when Ormerod, Sunday's two-goal assassin, wriggled his way into the area.

In a furious opening, Sharp was soon in hot-water with referee Uriah Rennie after a crunching challenge on Ormerod.

Rennie waved away Pool appeals after Ian Clark as felled on the edge of the area as Pool showed more fight for the occasion than they did at Bloomfield Road.

Pool's downfall was their failure to keep the ball away from visiting keeper Phil Barnes as a succession of crosses from deep were steered towards the keeper.

And they paid the ultimate penalty on 21 minutes. Gary Parkinson whipped in a free kick from the left and in a packed penalty area Ormerod flicked it past Anthony Williams.

Pool fruitlessly appealed for a penalty when Clark's chip hit the hand of giant defender Danny Shittu. Clark then tried his luck from 25-yards and his left-footed volley almost caught out Barnes when it kicked up off the surface.

Pool's best chance to break the deadlock came when Miller nodded down Clark's chip and in a busy penalty area, Anth Lormor's effort was agonsingly scrambled away.

Turner had 45 minutes to salvage some pride and threw Graeme Lee and Jermaine Easter into a three-pronged attack with Henderson.

Darren Knowles and Lormor made way and the move paid instant dividends. Stephenson's right-wing cross found Henderson at the far post and his flying volley crashed past Barnes - Pool's first shot on target in the two-legs.

But within a minute, the hope Henderson's goal had brought was cruelly taken away. Ormerod chipped across goal and the ball hit John Hills and beat Williams.

It could have been worse for Pool seconds later, but Tommy Jaszczun somehow put the ball wide of an open net.

Pool's misery was compounded when Easter was red-carded nine minutes after his introduction. After breaking into the area, he was robbed by Brian Reid and as the defender took the ball out of defence, the Welshman hacked him down.

Turner was forced into another tactical change, this time switching to a 4-4-1 line-up, with Henderson ploughing a lone furrow up front.

But he saw little of the ball as Pool were forced on to the back foot and the game was over as a spectacle before Hills broke into the area and from his deft chip, Ormerod planted another header home.

Hartlepool boss Chris Turner insisted his side will come back stronger from their play-off defeat.

While Turner had no complaints about the outcome, he is already turning his sights to next season.

Turner is likely to announce his retained list by the weekend and admitted: "The best team won over the two legs. Now we have to look at how we can improve on this season's showing."

Read more about Hartlepool here.