Hartlepool United 1-2 Scunthorpe United: Pools' fading play-off hopes dealt major blow as home woes continue

Having gone seven games unbeaten during new manager Nicky Featherstone's spell in interim charge, Pools have now failed to win any of their last four matches since he was appointed until the end of the season.

Remarkably, pressure is already beginning to mount on Featherstone, with fans frustrated at his unwillingness to play two up front and Pools' play-off hopes hanging by a thread.

Barring a late flourish, Pools were second best for large parts of Friday's game and gave themselves too much to do in the closing stages following a brace by the excellent Callum Roberts.

The mercurial winger gave the visitors the lead five minutes into the second half from the penalty spot after he'd been fouled inside the area and struck for a second time in the 70 minute following a mistake from skipper Tom Parkes.

Featherstone threw on a whole host of attacking players in a bid to get his side back into the game and two of his substitutes combined to give Pools hope 12 minutes from time as Matty Daly curled an effort into the bottom corner after good work from Luke Charman.

Yet it was too little, too late for a Pools side who have won just four of their 15 home matches this season and are now 12 points behind sixth-placed Scunthorpe, who have a game in hand and look to be almost out of reach in the race for the play-offs.

Pools, who made one change as Jack Hunter returned to the midfield in place of Daly, made a fast start and went close inside two minutes when Adam Campbell's acrobatic effort looped onto the roof of the crossbar following Ashley Nathaniel-George's ball into the box.

The hosts spurned a decent chance after seven minutes when Campbell failed to pick out Alex Reid in acres of space after Jamie Miley had done really well to win the ball high up the pitch.

Moments later, Pools went close when Reid, looking to end a run of three games without a goal, turned the ball wide of Rory Mahady's near post after a low cross from the marauding Jay Benn.

Both sides, perhaps hoping to negate the condition of the pitch at Victoria Park, were looking to get the ball forward quickly and Scunthorpe fashioned a half-chance in the 14th minute when the lively Tyrell Sellars-Fleming headed over following Joe Rowley's cross from the left-hand side.

The hosts were probably shading things and Mahady was called into action for the first time after 20 minutes when the Leeds loanee had to be at full stretch to palm John's threatening cross clear of danger.

Scunthorpe grew into the game and Sellars-Fleming, in particular, was looking threatening. Pools, however, were standing up to the task and defending well, with the visitors struggling to create much in the way of chances other than Oli Ewing's speculative effort from distance, which was well blocked by Parkes, after half an hour.

The home side were beginning to look lacklustre in the final third and Reid, once again, was becoming more and more isolated up front. The frontman failed to make the most of a half-chance after 34 minutes when he dragged a long-range strike well wide after the visitors had made a rare mistake in possession.

Scunthorpe were starting to get the upper hand and Danny Whitehall, who had been generally well-marshalled by former Iron defender Maxim Kouogun, saw his looping header turned over the crossbar by George Evans in the 40th minute, the first save the Pools loanee had been required to make.

Moments later and the hosts were almost undone by a long ball over the top as Roberts, who beat the offside trap with a well-timed run, sent an effort sailing over the bar as he attempted to catch Evans off his line.

While the first half might have been played at a high tempo and Scunthorpe had shown some flashes of quality, with Ewing seeing plenty of the ball in midfield, it had not been the spectacle many fans might have hoped for as both teams struggled to create much in the way of clear-cut chances.

Scunthorpe took the lead after 50 minutes when Roberts, who has a history of scoring against Pools, beat Evans from the penalty spot. The 28-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best attacking players in the National League, dusted himself off after being fouled in the area by John, who had no complaints at the referee's decision, to score his seventh goal of another productive campaign.

Pools introduced Charman, who returned from injury last week having been sidelined since October due to bone bruising on his foot, in a bid to get back into the game but the hosts were not looking particularly threatening, with Hunter dragging a tame effort well wide from distance.

Despite the home side's best efforts, Scunthorpe were still in control of the contest and Sellars-Fleming was continuing to cause Pools problems as the Hull loanee forced a save from Evans with a venomous strike from range in the 59th minute.

On the opposite flank, Roberts was looking lively after opening the scoring and the former Notts County man saw a curling effort blocked by Parkes on the hour as the visitors pressed for a second.

Pools switched to a 4-4-2 formation following the introduction of Daly with 25 minutes of normal time remaining but the home side were really struggling to make inroads while Scunthorpe were looking comfortable.

Scunthorpe doubled their lead after 70 minutes when Roberts punished a mistake by Pools skipper Parkes. The veteran defender, who had been excellent up to that point, made a rare misstep as his sweeping pass went straight to the feet of Roberts, who drove into space as Pools backed off before firing a venomous low effort into the bottom corner that gave the despairing Evans no chance.

The hosts pulled one back 12 minutes from time thanks to a rare goal from Daly, his first in eight matches and just his second this season. Two substitutes combined to haul Pools back into the game as Charman showed impressive presence of mind to pick out Daly after his initial effort was blocked and the former Harrogate man produced a fine finish to beat Mahady from close range.

Pools were full of energy and enthusiasm in the closing stages and Featherstone threw on Danny Johnson, looking to end a run of 23 appearances without a goal, in a last-ditch effort to get back into the contest but Scunthorpe held firm as the game drifted towards six minutes of added time.

The home side huffed and puffed but never really looked like fashioning an equaliser as they ran out of steam; in the end, Pools finished with something of a flourish but the hosts had left themselves too much to do following another underwhelming home performance.

With 10-man Southend beating rivals Braintree 1-0 and Halifax getting the better of Altrincham, Pools lost significant ground in the race for a place in the National League play-offs.

Featherstone's side drop one place to ninth and are now four points behind seventh-placed Southend, who have two games in hand on Pools.

Things aren't set to get any easier for Pools as they prepare to travel to league leaders Rochdale, who have won their last seven games in all competitions, on December 30.

Pools (4-2-3-1): Evans; Benn (sub, Johnson, 90), Kouogun, Parkes (c), John; Hunter (sub, Daly, 65), Sheron; Campbell, Miley, Nathaniel-George (sub, Charman, 54); Reid