Bristol Rovers v Hartlepool United LIVE!: Team news and updates as Graeme Lee's side head to the Memorial Stadium
Aaron Collins fired in from close range as Pools failed to clear their lines from a cross into the area from the left.
And with Pools chasing an equaliser in the closing stages they were reduced to 10 men as Jamie Sterry was given his marching orders for a tangle with Anthony Evans.
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Hide AdSterry was the last man with goalkeeper Ben Killip out of his area and left referee Carl Brook little option but to show the defender a red card.
And from the resulting freekick, Evans fired a delightful effort in off the crossbar giving Killip little chance.
Pools were much the better team for large parts of the game and will be wondering how James Belshaw was able to deny Mark Cullen in the second half and it was a chance they would rue in the closing stages.
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Bristol Rovers 2-0 Hartlepool United RECAP: Rovers grab late win as Jamie Sterry sees red
Key Events
- Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Sterry, Byrne, Liddle, Odusina, Ferguson, Featherstone, Crawford, Holohan, Molyneux, Carver
- Subs: Boyes, Ogle, Hull, Shelton, Daly, Grey, Cullen
- Marcus Carver makes his Hartlepool United debut
- Bristol Rovers XI: Belshaw, Grant, Kilgour, Collins, Nicholson, Coutts ©, Taylor, Anderson, Evans, Harries, Loft
- Subs: Jaakkola, Connolly, Anderson, Whelan, Pitman, Thomas, Clarke
80 - SAVE
Fabulous save from Belshaw to deny Cullen. Molyneux races down the left and fires a cross in which Cullen gets on the end of and does everything right first time but Belshaw pushes wide.
76 - Yellow
Odusina goes into the book for a late challenge on Collins who picks himself up to fire over as Pools, for the first time, almost get caught at the back
72 - CHANCE
Sterry picks out Molyneux inside the area and he brings a good save from Belshaw. Best chance of the game. It opened up nicely for him but Belshaw parries away
71 - CLOSE
Cullen picked out in the area by Holohan and opens his body looking for the far corner but doesn’t generate enough power and rather telepaths that one for Belshaw
69 - CLOSE
Cullen almost straight into the action a whisker away from getting on the end of Ferguson’s whipped cross from the left
67 - sub
Carver comes off for Cullen and he will be relatively pleased with his debut. He’s certainly made a nuisance of himself to the Rovers defence
67 - CLOSE
Molyneux skips inside from the left after Crawford released a pass through but it finds the side netting. Pools getting closer