SMILES, plaudits and backslaps all round come 5pm on Saturday, it was something of an unusual sight at Victoria Park.

Lee Bullock was Hartlepool United's match-winner, a tidy header four minutes after his arrival as a substitute clinched the win.

And amazingly it wasn't just their first home League One win this season, it was their first since way back on April 15 when Sheffield Wednesday were thumped 3-0.

That's 28 weeks and a day since Pool last earned three points on home soil. Last season it was 27 weeks into the season before they lost a game in front of their own fans.

After a mere four points from 18 at home this season and up against a club with about as much substance as The House That Jack Built, anything other than a win was unthinkable.

At the break, trailing to a goal that appeared offside but wasn't and given a break by seeing the visitors have a goal ruled out for offside that wasn't, things weren't looking good for Martin Scott.

With his side booed off by some sections of the crowd, Pool had to respond quickly.

Mark Tinkler's welcome arrival lifted the side and they finally started to play with some verve.

Yet when Thomas Butler missed a gilt-edged chance two minutes into the new half, both Scott and assistant Steve Agnew cut the same head in hands figure. Their fear was that is was going to be one of those days.

Instead, Dean Lewington deftly turned a cross into his own net before Bullock headed in a Darren Craddock cross that screamed "knock me in".

The win keeps the wolf from the door and meant Scott and his players could finally enjoy a pressure-free Saturday night.

"It's been a long time coming hasn't it?'' beamed Scott. "We all know how important winning home games is. This is a good win at a vital time and we deserved it.

"There was patches in the first half I was pleased with, but we knew we could do better. We had to keep it tight at the back because McLeod is a good player.

"When that chance was missed by Tommy Butler, I was thinking 'here we go again', because we missed a lot of chances on Tuesday. We should have scored in the first-half, but when that chance came I really thought it wasn't going to be our day again.

"We got a bit of luck we needed. The lad Lewington knocked a lovely ball into the corner for us. The players worked ever so hard to change it around.

"Goals change the mentality of players and we were a lot more positive. The reaction of the players was pleasing, they could easily have sat back at 1-1 and been happy with that.

"But I'm not the sort of manager to play like that and we went for it. Jon Daly was shattered, Chris Llewellyn was shattered and the subs came on and were very positive.

"For Bully to get the winner was a massive boost for us. It was a great header and a tremendous decision by the manager!''

That Pool were able to turn it around from one-down was down to an offside flag, much to Scott's relief.

A tidy passing move saw the ball flash across the six yard box and be turned in by Izale McLeod, only for the flag to go up.

The consensus was that the decision was wrong and Scott admitted: "I thought it was a goal. They tore us apart with a great piece of football and if that had gone in, it was game over.

"I was delighted with the offside flag. We let them pass around us and we didn't track the runners.

"At one-nil we were still in the game and given the chance to come back.''

In the first half, Pool played football on three occasions and created three chances.

First up, Eifion Williams saw his close range effort somehow stay out after Daly nodded the ball down and Pablo Mills got it off the line.

Chris Llewellyn then, after tearing past his man, fired in a great cross for Tony Sweeney, but the ball was nicked away from his foot.

And their best move came when Ritchie Humpreys and Llewellyn linked up for the ball to be nudged away from Daly.

But they soon fell behind as McLeod got away in the middle and pushed the ball through the legs of the advancing Dimi Konstantopoulos.

Things started going a little awry as half-time approached and it couldn't continue. When Butler screwed the ball horribly wide on the volley from 12 yards, perhaps it was going to.

But Konstantopoulos had little to do in the second-half and it was all Pool.

With three blue shirts looking suspiciously offside, Daly brought the ball down but failed to test keeper Matt Baker.

Eifion Williams then got goal side of the defence, but knocked the ball too far out of reach.

Bullock's winner still left enough time for Mark Tinkler and Aaron Wilbraham to be sent off.

Next up at Victoria Park is the return of old boss Neale Cooper a week tomorrow.

Back to back home wins are imperative, whatever the outcome of Saturday's trip to Port Vale.

And the last time Pool won successive games at home was back in January this year when a 3-1 win over Bristol City made it six points from six.

The first team of that double header? Milton Keynes Dons.

Result: Hartlepool United 2 MK Dons 1.

Read more about Hartlepool here.