Matthew Bates reacts to '˜good point' for Hartlepool at gung-ho Leyton Orient

Orient were forced to play the final half an hour with ten men after Joe Widdowson saw red for a reckless tackle on Michael Woods, but Pools were unable to take advantage.

But regardless, Bates was happy with the hard-fought point against one of the National League’s toughest teams.

“It’s a good point and we would have taken it before the game,” he admitted.

“I think when they go down to ten men there’s always that tinge of what could have been, but we were playing against a good side.

“Sometimes it isn’t easy to play against ten men and they proved that today.”

And it certainly wasn’t easy for Pools against the ten men of Orient.

Instead of shutting up shop, Justin Edinbrugh went gung-ho and finished the game with three strikers on the field with the visitors under some intense pressure.

While the move shocked many in attendance, Bates anticipated sucha an approach.

“It didn’t surprise me,” he revealed.

“At the end of the day they’re second in the league and there wasn’t one moment where I didn’t think they were going to go for it.

“I’ve said it before, but against ten men or eleven men im always wanting to win football matches. That goes without saying.

“We tried to win it, they tried to win it and it made for an entertaining game.”