Yeovil Town 2 Hartlepool United 3
HARTLEPOOL United secured a massive boost in their bid for League One survival after a 3-2 victory at Yeovil Town.
The three points moved Chris Turner's side onto 50 points for the season with a draw from either of the final two league games likely to be enough to keep Pools up.
They did it the hard way as Yeovil took the lead in the seventh minute when Gavin Tomlin took advantage of some poor Pools defending to knock the ball into the empty net, although there was certainly a hint of offside about the strike.
But Pools pulled level through Joel Porter's penalty and the Aussie took his tally to 23 for the season after heading the visitors into the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Yeovil grabbed an equaliser after the break when Andros Townsend's free-kick bobbled through a crowded box into the bottom corner.
But Pools weren't dismayed and grabbed the win in the 72nd minute when Daniel Nardiello headed home Andy Monkhouse's cross for his second goal in two games.
Daniel Nardiello partnered Joel Porter up front with Keigan Parker dropped to the bench.
Yeovil made just one change with Danny Maguire replacing the suspended Gary Roberts.
Pools got off to the worst possible start when Yeovil took advantage of some dire defending from the visitors in the seventh minute.
Jonathan Obika beat the offside trap to collect the ball down the inside left channel and his low square cross was tucked away at the back post by Gavin TOMLIN, who knocked it into the empty net.
Danny Hutchins went close four minutes later when he played a one-two with Tomlin, surged forward from right-back and let fly from 25 yards with a shot which was always rising over the bar.
But seconds later, Pools were level after Nardiello won a penalty for a needless trip by Lee Peltier on the far right-hand side of the area.
Joel PORTER stepped up and placed an unstoppable shot in Chris Weale's top right-hand corner.
Nardiello curled a shot two yards wide of the far post in the 15th minute after a clever one-two with Andy Monkhouse down the left-hand side of the box.
Porter should have had a second penalty two minutes later when he tried to take the ball past Terrell Forbes and was clearly tripped. But referee Jarnail Singh waved away the protests.
But Pools did go ahead on the stroke of half-time when Nardiello held off three defenders on the left-hand side of the area and laid the ball back for Monkhouse.
The left winger's cross to the far post was met by PORTER, who hung in the air before nodding the ball precisely into the bottom corner.
HALF-TIME Yeovil 1 Pools 2
Keiran Murtagh went close for Yeovil nine minutes after the break with a screaming volley from 25 yards which whistled just wide of the post.
Seconds later, Porter held the ball up down the right, played in Gary Liddle whose low ball into the area was met by Nardiello 12 yards out whose shot was just wide of the post.
But Yeovil were level a minute later when Andros TOWNSEND's free-kick from the right went through a crowded box and nestled in the bottom corner.
Tomlin should have put Yeovil ahead in the 64th minute when he was clean through on goal after being put in by Paul Warne's flick-on but chipped wide of the advancing Jan Budtz.
It was Pools who regained the lead in the 72nd minute when Sam Collins' free-kick from his own half was only cleared as far as Ben Clark on the edge of the area.
Clark found Monkhouse down the left whose inswinging right-footed cross found the head of NARDIELLO who headed into the far corner.
Pools almost doubled their lead two minutes later when Collins header smashed off the top of the bar after he met Monkhouse's corner from the right.
The closest Yeovil came to an equaliser was in the 83rd minute when Obika's shot from 25 yards was deflected just wide of the post.
FULL-TIME Yeovil 2 Pools 3
Yeovil: Weale, Forbes, Tomlin, Warne (Welsh 70), Murtagh, Hutchins, Townsend (Brown 86), Obika, Peltier, Smith, Maguire (Schofield 81). Subs not used: Alcock, Rodgers. Booked: Smith (76), Murtagh (90)
Pools: Budtz, Liddle, Collins, Nelson, Skarz, Jones, Clark (Humphreys 83), Sweeney, Monkhouse, Porter (Mackay 86), Nardiello. Subs not used: Lee-Barrett, McCunnie, Parker. Booked: Collins (19), Jones (65), Clark (69)
Referee: Jarnail Singh (Middlesex)
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Weather for Hartlepool
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
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Sunny spells
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