Dave Challinor labels two ‘howlers’ that proved costly for Hartlepool United in 3-0 defeat at Sutton

Sutton claimed the National League title at Gander Green Lane with goals from Rob Milsom, Louis John and Isaac Olaofe seeing the hosts claim a convincing win.

“Firstly, congratulations to Sutton they are deserving champions and good luck to them next season,” Challinor said.

"From our perspective, it highlights in big games and important games, big moments need to go in your favour and they haven't today and it results in us losing."

The first goal saw Brad James allow Milsom’s free-kick to slip underneath him and roll across the line despite getting a decent hand on the initial set-piece effort.

“It's not a mistake, it's a howler,” Challinor admitted. "His wall is lined up wrong in my opinion. It's at least a man and a half too far over it goes around the wall and in that corner.

"He should save it, it's a mistake but you've got to move on and learn from the experience.”

It wasn’t the only howler in the game according to the Pools boss as he felt his side were denied a perfectly good equaliser shortly after half-time as Luke Armstrong bundled the ball over the line.

"We've made mistakes, the referee made a mistake where we scored a perfectly good goal which would have changed the game at 1-1 just after half-time,” added the Hartlepool manager.

"He makes a howler and ultimately it doesn't cost us the game but it makes things a lot more difficult for us. The atmosphere would have changed with us scoring just after half-time but that opportunity was taken away from us.

“You've got to do the basics well because you are challenged mentally more than anything else. The goals are poor from our perspective and come from individual mistakes which we've spoken about before.

"It’s self-inflicted, you only have to look at the circumstances in which we’ve conceded. We scored a good goal that wasn’t given but we’re guilty of our own downfall.

"From our perspective defensively it’s things that can’t happen and shouldn’t happen.”

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