Hartlepool United 2-1 Forest Green Rovers: Pools bounce back as Featherstone begins farewell tour with win

In the wake of the news that manager Nicky Featherstone was set to step down at the end of the season, Pools produced a much-improved showing as they dominated a Forest Green side who arrived in the North East unbeaten in their last four matches, winning three of those.

Pools ended a run of almost seven hours without scoring 10 minutes before half time when the much-maligned Adam Campbell fired his side in front with a fine goal.

Things got even better for the hosts in first half added time when Reiss McNally, making a welcome return to the starting XI, headed home to double his side's lead.

The visitors pulled one back in the 90th minute thanks to the prolific Kyle McAllister but Pools withstood some late pressure to secure all three points.

While it was too little, too late for Pools in terms of the race for the National League play-offs, the home side took an important step in the right direction and restored some pride while owner Landon Smith watched on from the stands having arrived from America on Friday afternoon.

Pools, who made three changes from last week's drubbing at the hands of Boreham Wood, started brightly and came close to fashioning the first chance in the fifth minute when good work from Nathan Sheron unleashed Cameron John down the left but the marauding York City loanee, lining up in a more advanced wing-back role, failed to pick out Alex Reid with a low cross into the area.

The visitors ventured forward for the first time three minutes later but D'Mani Mellor was unable to get on the end of Jili Buyabu's driven ball across the face of goal.

Moments later, John was in the thick of the action once again but the sprawling Ashqar Ahmed slid in to stop him from getting on the end of Campbell's defence-splitting pass.

John stole in-behind again after 14 minutes, this time latching onto Jamie Miley's purposeful forward pass, but his ball back into the box failed to pick out either Reid or Campbell in promising positions.

At the other end, Forest Green came close to creating an opening following some intricate play on the edge of the Pools box but the first touch of Ricardo Rees let him down at the crucial moment just when he looked poised to burst through on goal.

For the most part, the home side were comfortable in the opening exchanges as Laurent Mendy lashed an effort harmlessly over the bar in the 16th minute after driving forward from midfield.

Despite an encouraging enough start, the game went a little flat midway through the first half - perhaps unsurprisingly, given that both teams had next to nothing left to play for - although the visitors were beginning to dominate possession.

Forest Green thought they'd opened the scoring in the 27th minute when skipper Jordan Moore-Taylor headed home Nick Haughton's corner but, much to the delight of the home fans, referee Ollie Yates ruled the goal out following an apparent infringement in the area.

Pools were struggling to create much in the way of clear-cut openings although Tyrese Sinclair almost latched onto a hopeful forward ball from goalkeeper Nick Hayes, but his opposite number Harry Isted was out quickly to smother the danger.

Slightly against the run of play, Pools took the lead in the 35th minute thanks to a fine first-time strike from Campbell. The 31-year-old, so often the subject of so much criticism from the terraces, ended a run of 10 games without scoring when he fired a first time effort into the top corner after Reid had pulled the ball back to him on the edge of the box.

The hosts doubled their lead in first half added time when the impressive McNally, making his first start since February 21, glanced home his third goal of the campaign from Miley's free-kick. Pools had exploited some ponderous Forest Green play and were good value for their two-goal lead at the break.

Forest Green introduced Tom Knowles at half time in a bid to get back into the game but Pools started the second half on the front foot and went close within a minute of the restart when Campbell fired wide under pressure.

Knowles, looking to make an impact from the right flank, wasted a promising crossing position in the 49th minute following smart work from Nick Haughton, so often the scourge of Pools during his long and successful stint with AFC Fylde.

As the spring sunshine turned to rain, Pools continued to appear comfortable while lacklustre Forest Green were looking very much like a side that had already secured their spot in the top seven and had little to gain from overexerting themselves in the lead up to their play-off campaign.

The home side almost created another opening 10 minutes into the second period following a superb move involving the influential Miley, Campbell, Sinclair, Reid and John, who couldn't quite get the ball under control inside the penalty area.

Swaggering Sinclar was beginning to exert his influence on the contest, John was continuing to cause problems with his relentless forward runs while Miley and Campbell were combining well in the engine room; as the clock ticked past the hour mark, Featherstone must surely have been wondering where this sort of performance had been in recent weeks, especially in light of the news of his impending departure.

To their credit, purposeful Pools refused to rest on their laurels and Featherstone introduced Charlie Caton and Matty Daly in place of the excellent Campbell as well as Reid as the home side went in search of a third goal.

Sinclair, who had caused the visitors plenty of problems in the second half, forced a sharp save from the sprawling Isted 12 minutes from time before Moore-Taylor did well to acrobatically deny him on the follow-up; that was to be Sinclair's last involvement before he was replaced by Vadaine Oliver, while Huddersfield Town loanee Jay Sway came on for the outstanding Miley.

It was difficult to think of Hayes having to make a save in the Pools goal, although Forest Green substitute Kairo Mitchell might have done better when he headed wide from close range in the 84th minute.

The visitors were, somewhat half-heartedly, committing bodies forward in the closing stages in search of a route back into the game. Jayden Clarke saw his effort deflected wide, while Pools did well to deal with a couple of searching balls into their area.

Forest Green pulled one back in the final minute of normal time through McAllister, who wrong-footed Hayes to score his 18th goal of the season.

The hosts survived one or two nervous moments in five minutes of added time but the result never really seemed in doubt as Featherstone's farewell tour began with a win.

Pools host Southend United, who thumped Halifax Town 6-2 on Saturday, on Tuesday evening in their final home game of the season before travelling to Boston United, with fans set to dress in pink as part of the club's annual fancy dress tradition, next weekend.

Pools: (3-4-2-1): Hayes; Hunter, Kouogun, McNally; Benn, Sheron (c), Miley (sub, Sway, 81), John; Campbell (sub, Daly, 73), Sinclair (sub, Oliver, 80); Reid (sub, Caton, 73)

Attendance: 3,450 (75 away)