Mansfield Town 0, Hartlepool United 1.

AFTER bringing down the curtain on 2006 in style, Hartlepool United started as they mean to go on in the new year after securing a ninth straight win at Mansfield Town yesterday.

The 1-0 victory at Field Mill also means Danny Wilson's side have now gone 12 hours and 52 minutes without conceding a goal.

Andy Monkhouse's second half strike was enough to secure three points for Pools, who were made to work hard for their win in monsoon-like conditions.

Monkhouse, who Wilson will attempt to sign on a permanent basis from Swindon this week, scored after Jon Daly's penalty was saved.

The goal was his third for the club and the Leeds-based winger is relishing his time in the North-East.

It was not a game for the purist, but Wilson will have been hugely encouraged by the character shown by his side as they dug deep to continue their remarkable run.

While yesterday's clash was Pool's fourth in nine days, Mansfield were playing for the first time since beating Darlington on Boxing Day after their game at Accrington was postponed at half-time on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch.

It showed in the first half as Pools had keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos to thank for some crucial saves.

But, as the game and conditions deteriorated, Pools' supremacy told in the second half as their march towards the League Two summit shows few weak signs.

They are now just three points off the automatic promotion spots and have a healthy ten-point advantage over the teams chasing the play-off zone.

Wilson, who turned 47 yesterday, was not afraid to admit his side were fortunate to come away with maximum points.

"It was a tough game and I think we had a shade of luck at times," he said. "We were quite fortunate with the rebound from the penalty and I don't think there was really that much between the sides.

"But we stuck in again and that's the beauty of the way we've been playing recently.

"At the moment everyone is just working their socks off to keep this run going. It just shows you what a bit of belief can do.

"The lads are bubbling and they don't feel they're going to lose any game.''

Mansfield goalkeeper Jason White was called upon in the early exchanges, comfortably collecting Monkhouse's back header from Richie Humphreys' long throw into the box.

Ben Clark timed his challenge on Michael Boulding to perfection in the seventh minute, brilliantly scooping the ball to safety with the striker racing in on the Pools goal.

Despite a commanding start from the visitors, clearly buoyed by their recent good run, Mansfield soon found their feet by testing Konstantopoulos on several occasions in the opening 45 minutes.

First, the Hartlepool goalkeeper was almost caught out after 15 minutes when he was forced to backtrack and claw away Simon Brown's cross-cum-shot.

And, after Gary Liddle could only partially clear Richie Barker's cross, Brown picked up the ball on the edge of the box before directing a tame effort straight at Konstantopoulos.

Andy Monkhouse, who is expected to extend his loan stay at Victoria Park from Swindon this week, then fired over in the 20th minute.

Konstantopoulos was again called upon, this time safely punching away Brown's wind-assisted free-kick from the left.

The best chance of the half fell to Boulding in the 29th minute. For once the striker was unmarked and allowed a clear run on goal, but while his low effort beat Konstantopoulos, it rolled inches wide.

The Greek shot-stopper then showed excellent reactions when Gary Liddle almost turned the ball into his own net from John Mullins' near post cross.

Barker, strongly linked with a January move to Victoria Park, then saw his 42nd minute header comfortably saved.

Willie Boland's audacious 40-yard free-kick failed to cause White any problems early in the second half as a downpour added to the difficult conditions.

Jonathan D'Laryea then brought another save out of Konstantopoulos and Pools were fortunate not to be reduced to ten men when Boulding was wrestled to the ground by Clark.

The defender's only saving grace was that Liddle was also backtracking with Boulding through on goal.

Darryl Duffy should have marked his last game for the club following a hugely successful loan spell with a goal when he could only drag his shot wide from Micky Barron's cross.

But that didn't matter moments later when Monkhouse put Pools one up.

Referee Ray Lee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot when Daly was dragged down by Coke.

And, despite White saving from Daly and then Duffy's follow up, Monkhouse was on hand to head into an empty net.

l Pools will be without Ben Clark for the game with MK Dons a week on Saturday after the defender picked up his fifth booking of the season yesterday.