Dagenham 1 Hartlepool 2: Liam Noble penalty ensures Pools make it two wins out of two

The hosts took the lead when Alex McQueen scored on the break in the opening 45 before first Woods the Noble from the spot secured all three points for Matthew Bates' men.

The hosts looked the most dangerous in the opening 15 with Elliot Romain coming closest to breaking the deadlock - his header had Scott Loach troubled but it sailed narrowly over the bar.

At the other end Pools, unchanged from last weekend, were struggling to get in-form Luke James and Niko Muir into the action. Too many long balls made life difficult for the dynamic duo.

While those two were having to fight for the scraps, Woods looked keen to rekindle the goalscoring form of last season and it all took was one sight at goal.

Woods unleashed a cracking effort from 25 yards on the half hour, which cannoned off the Dagenham bar and to safety. That was more like it from the visitors.

Caught on the break at will in the opening stages, Pools failed to take heed of the countless warnings and were made to pay on 36 when Romain broke the offside trap to square for McQueen who made it 1-0, slightly against the run of play.

After the break Pools got off on the front foot, and that positivity was rewarded with a leveller.

A cross from the right was half cleared at the front post, with Muir and James lurking, but it found Woods 12 yards out and he doesn't make mistakes from that distance - he hammered home via a deflection.

Former Pools man Tomi Adeloye had the chance to make it 2-1 soon after, as he found himself unmarked in acres in the area but he guided his header wide of Loach's goal.

In the second period Noble began to have an increasing influence of proceedings and he made and scored the goal that turned this encounter on its head.

His shot was blocked by a home hand, referee Sam Alison had no hesitations in pointing to the spot and Noble made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Elliott Justham the wrong way.

And from then on in, Pools managed to see the game out with relative ease as the home side grew frustrated and ran out of steam.

Two wins from two and Pools are edging up the National League table.