Hartlepool United 4-3 Sutton United: Mani Dieseruvwe comes off the bench to score a hat-trick as Pools fight back from the brink to secure first home win

Pools looked down and out - and, in truth, manager Darren Sarll appeared to be skating on thin ice - after goals from Jayden Harris and Ashley Nadesan fired Sutton into a 2-0 half time lead.

Sarll had, again, left Mani Dieseruvwe and Joe Grey on the bench but sent both men on during the first half and, together with fellow substitutes Nicky Featherstone and Anthony Mancini, the pair changed the game as Pools engineered a remarkable turnaround.

The impressive Luke Charman pulled one back from Grey's cross before a quickfire brace from Mani Dieseruvwe put Pools in front.

Sutton drew level again late on through Lewis Simper but Dieseruvwe completed his hat-trick - his third goal in 27 minutes - as Pools won at home for the first time all season.

Pools, who managed just four points from a possible 18 in a miserable September, made one change from last Saturday's narrow defeat to Forest Green Rovers as Billy Sass-Davies returned to the heart of defence in place of the suspended Tom Parkes.

While Pools produced a much-improved performance in Gloucestershire, it was their fourth defeat in a row and, indeed, the fourth game in succession in which Sarll's side had failed to score.

Yet Sarll opted to stick with the same shape - a diamond in midfield, with Nathan Sheron at its base and Adam Campbell at its head - and leave both Mani Dieseruvwe and Joe Grey, who scored 38 goals between them last season, on the bench. It was the second game in a row that the under pressure manager named an XI without a single league goal between them so far this season.

Sutton, who were relegated from League Two last season, were starting to hit their stride under former Stevenage, Norwich and Millwall striker Steve Morrison and arrived in the North East unbeaten in their last four and just two points outside the play-offs.

The Us, who had scored more than twice as many goals as Pools so far this season, made two changes from last weekend's 2-1 win over Woking.

Striker Ashley Nadesan, who had scored three goals since arriving on loan from Gillingham, and left-back Eduino Vaz came into the side while new signing Charlie Kirk, who won promotion to the National League with Bromley last season, was on the bench after joining earlier in the week.

With the pressure inside the ground palpable right from kick-off, it took Sutton just six minutes to take the lead.

The hosts had made a bright enough start and had a couple of half chances when Adam Campbell's strike on the edge of the box was deflected into the path of Luke Waterfall, but the skipper took too long and his effort was closed down.

Pools, who had thrown bodies forward, were unable to reset and Sutton broke forward, allowing Josh Coley to square for Jayden Harris to fire home from close range and score his third goal of the campaign.

The hosts, who were having to contend with a fairly hostile home crowd, began to get a foothold in the game and fashioned a chance 20 minutes in when patient play between Darren Robinson, who was growing into the game after a shaky start, and Dan Dodds saw the full-back whip in a threatening cross for Gary Madine, who turned his effort wide of the near post.

However, things went from bad to worse for Pools after 23 minutes when Ashley Nadesan doubled Sutton's lead.

The home side were uncharacteristically stretched at the back and marauding full-back Eduino Vaz picked out Nadesan, who didn't have to move a muscle as the ball bounced up off the turf and cannonned off his chest and beyond Brad Young to make it 2-0.

That prompted a strong response both from frustrated home fans, who made their feelings known, and manager Darren Sarll, who replaced Darren Robinson with Joe Grey; it was a bit harsh on the Derby loanee, who had been booked, but a clear sign that Sarll felt he'd got his selection wrong.

Despite the change of shape and personnel, Pools continued to struggle and, after David Ferguson fired a free-kick well over the bar, the home side were almost caught out by another long ball as Nadesan got the better of Billy Sass-Davies but lashed his ambitious effort high and wide.

Luke Charman, who looked his side's best attacking outlet and was, at least, full of determination, forced a regulation save from Steve Arnold before Sutton almost took advantage of a mix-up between David Ferguson and Brad Young.

Mani Dieseruvwe replaced Gary Madine, who looked to be struggling with an injury, after 37 minutes and the reaction of the frustrated fans - ironic cheers, and a strong show of support for the frontman - told a tale all of its own.

Dieseruvwe had a point to prove and was looking to put himself about but Sutton went close to a third when a mishit header from Sass-Davies fell into the path of Nadesan, who beat Young to the ball but poked his effort just wide.

Referee Steven Copeland's half time whistle signalled an end to a dismal first half for Pools and was, unsurprisingly, met with boos.

Sarll made two more changes at the break as Anthony Mancini and Nicky Featherstone replaced Adam Campbell and Greg Sloggett, who both struggled, while Lennie Lawrence, again, joined the manager in the dugout.

Pools tried to string a few passes together at the start of the second half but their progress was halted when one of the corner flags broke and both sides had to wait while the ground staff rummaged through cupboards and cubby holes in a desperate search for a new one; play did eventually resume, but it felt like an unfortunate metaphor for how things were going for Pools - but not for long.

Despite that ill-omen, Pools pulled one back 10 minutes into the second half when Joe Grey, who should have been in from the start, picked out Luke Charman, who headed in his first Pools goal to end a run of six-and-a-half hours without one at home for Sarll's side.

In a remarkable turnaround, Mani Dieseruvwe - who, like Grey, should have started the game - equalised two minutes later when he latched onto a long ball, muscled through Sutton's back line and beat Steve Arnold to level the scores with his third goal of the campaign.

The Prestige Group Stadium was, all of a sudden, bouncing and Mancini almost fired Pools in front with a powerful strike from distance on the hour.

The hosts had all the momentum and went close a couple of times before Dieseruvwe fired them ahead in the 71st minute, poking home his second of the afternoon after Sass-Davies had headed Mancini's cross back across the face of goal.

Pools looked to be in almost total control of the game but allowed Sutton back in seven minutes from time when the hosts fell asleep from a corner and Lewis Simper was given far too much time and space to stroke the ball into the bottom corner to make it 3-3.

Sutton were level for less than two minutes when Dieseruvwe completed his hat-trick, heading home Nicky Featherstone's deep cross to put Pools back in front. It had been an electric 45 minutes from the popular frontman, who seems unlikely to find himself on the bench again in the near future.

The visitors pressed and probed for another equaliser but Pools held firm - Nathan Asiimwe headed one off the line in added time - as Mani Dieseruvwe dragged Darren Sarll and his side back from the brink on a memorable afternoon.

Pools: Young; Dodds, Sass-Davies, Waterfall (c), Ferguson; Sheron, Sloggett (sub, Featherstone, 45), Robinson (sub, Grey, 25), Campbell (sub, Mancini, 45); Charman (sub, Asiimwe, 87), Madine (sub, Dieseruvwe, 37).

Sutton: Arnold; French (c), Waller, Okoli, Vaz (sub, Kirk, 59); Simper, Barbrook; Coley (sub, De Silva, 69), Nadesan, Harris; Davies.

Attendance: 3,408 (94 away).