Boss Craig Hignett blasts Hartlepool United's defensive display

The gaffer did no mince his words in assessing Pools' players' show in their abject 3-1 home loss to the O's.

And having been in front at the break, thanks to a strike from Josh Laurent, and seemingly cruising, a 25 minute defensive capitulation, which saw Sandro Semedo net and Ollie Palmer bag a double, ensured third-bottom Orient left the Vic with the spoils.

Hartlepool 1 Leyton Orient 3: Second-half collapse costs Pools dear

“I couldn’t see it coming at half-time," said the manager.

"I said at the break we were one-up, but we weren’t clinical enough.

"We had a great platform to go on and second-half we had early chances – their keeper makes a good early save, but they don’t have to work hard for their goals at all, it’s up there with the worst defending I’ve ever seen.

"You will struggle to win games defending like that.

"But we had a few chances and the difference is they put theirs away and we didn’t. It’s a lesson at both end of the pitch – the goals we have conceded in the last two weeks have been criminal."