HOME comforts are always a joy to have and it’s certainly the case for Hartlepool United as they completed a second half turnaround to beat Northampton Town at fortress Victoria Park.

Pools showed plenty of fight and endeavour to come from behind and take another three points at home in front of a packed out crowd.

The Northampton attack gave Pools plenty to think about in the first 15 minutes as the away side came straight out the traps. Sam Hoskins registered the first attempt on goal with a curling effort that forced Ben Killip into a smart save clawing the ball away from goal.

Kion Etete was handed the task of getting the better of the Pools defence and he gave them plenty to think. The big unit was released through on goal when Nicky Featherstone was caught on the ball but the crucial sliding challenge of Zaine Francis-Angol blocked the effort.

That was the wake up call Pools needed to start getting into the game.

The away side were forced to put their bodies on the line when Pools worked the ball into the box blocking goal bound efforts from David Ferguson and Matty Daly before Jamie Sterry’s returned cross sailed over the head of everyone and behind for a goal kick.

Moments later, Will Goodwin had a striker’s dream of a chance when Daly found the eye of the needle and threaded the ball in behind the Northampton defence but his tame effort was straight at keeper Liam Roberts who had little trouble in keeping the ball out of the net.

While Pools had started to assert themselves into the game, it was definitely an even contest and there was a feeling that either side could break the deadlock.

Killip was on hand to spare Pools’ blushes again as a last ditch tackle prevented Hoskins latching onto a short back pass. Sterry then had two blocked shots in the Northampton box but that just about capped off an uneventful but competitive first half at the Vic. It was a hard one to call.

The Pools keeper had a busy first half and it continued in the same vein as a sweeping Northampton counter attack released Hoskins through but his firm low shot was brilliantly tipped wide with a low diving save to his right. Killip knew that save could be massive as he jumped up and clenched his fists.

But that only angered the beast as Hoskins made no mistake when he got another bite of the cherry moments later when a long throw was flicked on into the box and the winger made no mistake on the volley driving low into the bottom corner.

With that goal, it lit the blue touch paper for the home side who equalised moments later with an all wing-back affair.

Sterry’s curling cross to the back post met the onrushing Ferguson at the back post who rose highest and powered his header into the top corner. The roof blew off Victoria Park and we got the goals this game was craving inside the first ten minutes of the second period.

Dave Challinor threw the first dice of the afternoon bringing on Joe Grey and Jordan Cook in a change of shape for Pools but the two teams continued to stand firm in this tug of war.

Northampton’s resolve was somehow kept in tact when keeper Roberts somehow kept Pools at bay with a chance that somehow stayed out.

Ferguson was, once again, a focal point of Pools attack as he whipped a ball to the back post. Cook skewed his effort down to Molyneux who then volleyed goalwards but Roberts clawed the ball out onto the bar. The ball then fell to Goodwin who could only head the ball into the side netting.

In the final ten minutes, Pools continued to pile on the pressure with Grey jinking into the box before seeing his deflected effort bounce wide of the post.

But it was only a matter of moments later before the teenager was part of the move that completed the Pools turnaround.

After moving down the left hand side, he drifted infield onto his favoured right foot before arching the ball to the back post to find Molyneux. Pools number ten did the rest with a right footed volley into the corner as he wheeled away and celebrated in front of the town end.

A tried set of Northampton players through bodies forward but there was nothing left in the tank as Pools saw the game through to maintain their outstanding home record at the Vic.