Rochdale boss Jim Bentley comments on Hartlepool United reverse as ex-Manchester City team-mate claims Crown Oil Arena win

Bentley was speaking after Callum Cooke handed Hartlepool a vital three points with an excellent free kick 10 minutes from time to restore the lead after Rochdale had levelled things up in the second half.

Ian Henderson improvised to score a superb back-heel on the hour to cancel out Rollin Menayese’s first half header as Bentley’s side, perhaps, looked the ones more likely to go on and win the game.

But having weathered a storm, Keith Curle's side made the trip back over the M62 with back-to-back wins in their pocket to move three points clear of Rochdale in the League Two table.

“I thought the first half was nervous and we lacked quality,” said Bentley.

“We got into the better areas but they tested our keeper more, they had a couple of long range shots which were saved by Rich.

“The goal, I’m a centre-half myself, you deal with the first phase but the second phase comes in and their player gets above two of ours and wants it a bit more and puts it in the back of the net. Is that hard luck or is that not good enough? For me it’s not good enough.

“There’s no hard luck about that. That should be do or die out of your six-yard box. We’re too easy to play against, we lack character. We shouldn’t be going 1-0 down there in that situation.

“Credit to the players they showed character in the second half but they couldn’t be any worse.

“We get ourselves back on level terms and it only looks like us, but then we let them off the hook. It was a lazy foul and gave them the opportunity to have a shot on our goal.

“Some people say it’s a wonder strike and you can’t do anything about it, but it’s avoidable.

“It’s the Christmas period, you’re playing one of your rivals, have we really shown enough to go and win the game? When we got back to 1-1, if you can’t win it, you don’t lose it. It’s as simple as that and we’ve found a way of losing the game.”