Last-gasp specialists deny Pools

PERHAPS it was inevitable that Leeds United would nab a late goal to deny Hartlepool United victory.

With time running out and Pools looking set for a third successive home win, Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford drilled in a low drive to salvage a 1-1 draw.

It was the 12th goal scored by his team in the closing stages this season, enough to earn them 21 extra points in a campaign which began with a 15-point deduction.

Micky Nelson's second goal of the season and his second in consecutive games put Pools on top.

Both sides had chances to score before Beckford's effort, but one goal - as plenty of others have found to their cost this season - wasn't enough for Pools.

"It's not the first time it's happened.

Scoring so late is a Leeds habit this season, it must be a great belief they have,'' said Pools boss Danny Wilson. "They have done it on plenty of occasions.

"They have that consistency which the best teams have - they keep going. They believe they aren't going to lose when they go out for every game. It's the same as we were last season.

"We have again played well against one of the division's best teams.

"We keep saying it, but there's only a handful of games this season in which we haven't deserved anything.

"Overall we have defended well when we had to, limited them to few chances and it was a pleasing performance.

"We raised our game well and now we have to find that consistency and hopefully this performance will give us confidence to press on.'' Leeds boss Dennis Wise said: "In the first-half and we did not play at all. We conceded a sloppy goal which annoyed me.

"But we try to go for it, we always do. If we are drawing or losing we have nothing to lose and go for it. We scored one, yet it was probably the hardest chance Jermaine has had.'' And he was right, because even after levelling, Beckford poked a shot wide under pressure from Jan Butdz inside the six-yard area.

It took almost 20 minutes before an incident of any note, but it was one to write home about for Pools.

James Brown was felled and Robbie Elliott, the left-back whose delivery was so disappointing at Swindon last Saturday, swung over a teasing freekick.

It was met by Nelson, whose header flew across goal into the far side of the net, a repeat of his goal against Crewe.

A minute later Ian Moore, like Elliott a Leeds player of last season, crashed a shot over the bar from 20 yards.

The first Leeds chance came soon afterwards. Godwin Antwi put Willie Boland under unnecessary pressure on halfway and the visitors broke. David Prutton's pass found Tresor Kandol in space, but his touch took him wide and he could only shoot wide.

Richard Barker then put a grand chance wide when he should have made it two. Willie Boland's dink over the back four put Barker in, but he took the bouncing ball on the up and put it wide.

Barker was back in the side after his own mid-season break and certainly put a shift in. He was never afraid to get back and help his defence from set-pieces.

Leeds had hardly impressed and a searching ball cross-field by Beckford beautifully found the Cyril Knowles Stand seats, summing up their game.

The next time Beckford touched the ball, however, he could easily have scored. After Pools failed to clear convincingly, the striker side-footed low at goal and Budtz's reaction was enough to kept it out.

Seconds after the restart Brown's mazy run at goal from the touchline almost brought a second.

Playing up front but soon to move to the right, Brown skipped through and beyond three defenders from the left and a touch from keeper Casper Ankergren took the sting out of the effort, allowing Rui Marques to clear.

Brown caused plenty of problems all afternoon. His intelligent running asked questions of the central defenders, while on the right he put Andy Hughes on the back foot.

Leeds had come more into the game, particuarly after the introduction of Alan Thompson to central midfield, but Pools had the chances.

Moore got away on the right after taking Barker's pass and took his chance early. His low shot beat Ankergren, raked across goal and, via a post, went for a corner. The same player then screwed a shot over from the edge of the box, when he should have been celebrating career goal number 101 after hitting his ton last weekend.

Budtz made a save of importance when left-back Hughes cracked a shot at the near post and the keeper stopped it with his legs.

In search of a late leveller, Leeds boss Wise put Tore Andre Flo into a three-man forward line.

The Sunderland flop missed a chance to score soon afterwards, curling a shot wide when put in.

But Beckford wasn't going to miss his chance on the opposite side of the area.

After Elliott's free-kick was aimed towards the top corner, but landed in the crowd at one end, a long goal kick was flicked on.

Beckford got in behind the Pools defence, and, in acres of space, picked his spot and drilled his low shot across Budtz.

At Elland Road this season Leeds secured a 2-0 win over Pools after being outplayed for long periods.

This time, Pools' dominance wasn't nearly as clear, but they again had every reason to feel aggrieved.