Hartlepool United 2-1 Grimsby Town: Pools come from behind to stun Mariners and move off the bottom

Keith Curle’s side look destined to slip to a fifth straight defeat in the league after returning midfielder Gavan Holohan had given the Mariners the lead with a stunning goal in the first half before Pools scored twice in the space of four minutes in the final quarter of the game to move off the bottom of the table.

Alex Lacey headed home the equaliser 12 minutes from time before Josh Umerah scored his eighth goal of the season four minutes later to send the Suit Direct Stadium into raptures and hand them a winning feeling on a Saturday afternoon they have not felt on home soil in over a year since another come-from-behind victory over Harrogate Town.

Holohan made what he described as a ‘surreal’ return to Hartlepool and inevitably got himself on the scoresheet but it wasn’t to be for the Irishman against his former team as Pools earned a crucial win at the foot of the League Two table.

Curle made just one change to his entire squad from the defeat to Salford City in midweek as winger Wes McDonald returned to the starting line-up in place of striker Theo Robinson who dropped to the bench. Teenage defender Louis Stephenson continued as part of the Hartlepool squad on the bench having earned his first call-up from the academy side against Salford.

McDonald partnered Umerah in attack, despite Curle’s admission to the 25-year-old missing out of late due to a change in system.

But McDonald’s inclusion could do little to prevent a strong start from the visiting Mariners who dominated the early proceedings and led through an inevitable Holohan goal. Pools had been given a warning sign inside three minutes when the Irishman threaded a ball inside of David Ferguson to find Michee Efete whose cross only just escaped Ryan Taylor in the six-yard box.

But Holohan would fire the away side in front on his old stomping ground four minutes later with a goal of stunning quality. Efete again caused problems down the right as his cross found Lewis Richardson. The Burnley loanee had his shot blocked into the path of Holohan on the edge of the area who hit a bouncing ball as crisply, and as cleanly, as you would like with the outside of his right boot, bending around the defender and from outside to inside of Ben Killip’s post.

Holohan raised his arms aloft in an almost apologetic manner as the 30-year-old received applause around the Suit Direct Stadium - but in truth, he deserved it for the strike alone.

And it was Holohan who was really pulling the strings for Paul Hurst’s side in the first half, his cross from the right vitally cut out by his former Wolfpack teammate Nicky Featherstone ahead of Ryan Taylor.

Holohan’s third-man runs into the right-hand channel were a problem for Pools as Killip was called upon to cut out another teasing cross from the Irishman before the home side finally caught a sight of goal.

Clarke Oduor intercepted a ball for Efete and completed a headed exchange with McDonald before getting his effort at goal all wrong as it looped over Max Crocombe’s bar. It appeared to spark a little bit of something from Curle’s side after a game which had been dominated by the Mariners.

Reghan Tumilty pushed forward down the right as his cross landed at the feet of Mohamad Sylla, who found himself in a similar position inside the penalty area for the third straight game, but his effort was well blocked by another ex-Pools midfielder in Bryn Morris. Oduor was able to recycle things to find Callum Cooke but he dragged off target.

McDonald threaded a smart ball behind the Grimsby defence for Umerah to run onto as he got the better of Luke Waterfall who was forced to bring him down, earning himself a yellow card in the process, as McDonald brought the first real save from Crocombe with the resulting free kick.

And from the corner Pools thought they had won a penalty when Oduor was tripped by Morris in the area but there was not enough in the Barnsley loanee’s antics to convince referee Samuel Barrott to point to the spot.

The visitors almost capitalised on that as Danny Amos led an attack which came to Taylor on the left of the area who expertly found the back of the net off Killip’s post only for the linesman’s flag to rule it out.

Grimsby, and Holohan, continued their threat from the restart after the break as the Irishman picked up a loose ball before finding Harry Clifton who tested Killip at his near post.

But Pools did bring Crocombe into action soon after as Cooke was well denied. Tumilty did well on the right to pick out the midfielder in the centre of the penalty area and his effort at goal looked destined to find the far corner only for Crocombe to push wide before then swiftly getting back to his feet to deny McDonald.

Killip kept Pools in the game on the hour when denying Naill Maher from close range. Maher latched onto Waterfall’s header from a floated Morris free-kick and looked destined to convert inside the six-yard box only for Killip to turn it wide of the post.

Killip was on hand again 15 minutes from time to deny Clifton again before Pools began to turn the screw.

Ferguson recycled a deep cross on the right to stand a ball up for Lacey who headed home from eight yards to hand Pools a lifeline before Umerah completed the turnaround four minutes later when he appeared to guide in a cross from the left to seal a remarkable comeback and a vital three points.

Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Tumilty, Murray, Lacey, Ferguson, Oduor (Paterson ‘90), Featherstone © (Robinson ‘73), Sylla, Cooke, McDonald (Taylor ‘86), Umerah

Subs: Letheren, Stephenson, Hastie, Ndjoli

Grimsby Town XI: Crocombe, Efete, Morris (Simmonds ‘85), Richardson (Green ‘70), Taylor (Pepple ‘63), Maher (Khan ‘85), Clifton, Holohan, Waterfall ©, Smith, Smith, Amos

Subs: Pearson, Cropper, Hunt

Referee: Samuel Barrott