HARTLEPOOL United got back to winning ways in League Two as Graeme Lee’s side put the sword to Barrow with a first half flurry of brilliant goals to cancel out the away side’s outrageous opener.

It was a first win in seven games as Luke Molyneux’s brilliant brace and Omar Bogle’s first Pools goal did the damage.

Pools first real opening in the game came after 15 minutes as youngster Joe Grey came close to taking full advantage of his place in the starting line-up only to be denied by the woodwork.

Molyneux, who was a menace to Barrow all evening, was released down the left hand side and drove into the box to find Tom Crawford. The midfielder saw his shot blocked but the rebound fell into the path of Grey who clipped the ball off the top of the bar.

Barrow stunned the home crowd by responding two minutes later with what can only be described as an absolute worldie. John Rooney picked the ball up from around 40 yards out, took one look up and caught Ben Killip off his line with a strike straight from top drawer as the ball arrowed into the top right corner as he wheeled away in celebration.

The away side somehow failed to double their lead moments later from a three yards out. Killip and a host of Pools defenders came out to clear a corner but completely missed the ball leaving Patrick Brough with all the space he could want. But he somehow managed to trap the ball away from goal with an open net to aim at. Killip then atoned for his mistake from the set-piece by pulling off a brilliant save to deny Aaron Amadi-Holloway by diving low to his left to deny a firm shot on the swivel.

Barrow’s dominance only lit the blue touch paper for Pools who grabbed the first of the half by the scruff of the neck.

Molyneux found the equaliser with his best impression of Arjen Robben as he jinked his way in from the right hand side, bided his time with a forest of pink shirts in front of him and drove his low effort into the bottom right hand corner.

Barrow could do nothing to stop Molyneux performing his party trick once again but this time, the 23-year-old drifted inside from the right and picked out the top left corner with a beautiful bending shot from 25 yards to leave Paul Farman clutching at thin air.

Then joy of scoring two then turned into the ecstasy of netting a third just before half time. Jamie Sterry worked his way down the right before his low cross was met by David Ferguson. With a crowd of bodies in front of him, he kept the attack alive and teed up Omar Bogle who opened his Pools account by stroking the ball into the bottom right corner with a smart finish.

The Suit Direct Stadium had been in short supply of goals this season and the manager’s change in formation paid off big style.

Into the second half and Pools put things into cruise control restricting Barrow to direct balls down the line. The away side did give Pools a scare when Jacob Wakeling brought down a long throw from six yards out but his back heel trickled wide of the post.

Grey was the liveliest of Pools attacking three and was looking to get on the scoresheet. He chased down Molyneux’s knock-on and beat two Barrow defenders for pace but not the keeper who came out to smother the ball.

Molyneux then came close to sealing his hat-trick as he continued to give the Barrow defenders a torrid night. This time he drove passed his marker into the box onto his right foot before blasting the ball over the bar at the angle.

Luke James was inches from coming back to haunt his old team ten minutes from time when he showed great poise to control the ball on the edge of the box and volley goalwards. Killip palmed the ball down into the ground and saw it kissed the top of the crossbar and bounce in front of him.

In the end, Barrow didn’t look like threatening Pools with the home side completing the formality by seeing the game out at the Suit Direct Stadium.

The result sees Pools climb up to 15th in the table and inch closer to securing their status as a League Two side for another season.