The Stoke City loanee was named as the BBC Radio Tees’ man of the match following a near complete attacking performance in which he did everything but score.
He saw two good well-crafted chances go begging in either half while also coming close to assisting Tyler Burey with a teasing ball across the face of goal.
But the lack of goals would prove to be Pools’ undoing as – in the final minute of normal time – Goodwin lost Tom Davies at a corner which the Tranmere man headed in unmarked to secure three points for the hosts at Prenton Park.
And despite a solid attacking display, it was Goodwin’s last minute defensive lapse that stuck in the mind of Hartlepool manager Dave Challinor following the full-time whistle.
“He did everything apart from score up front, but at the other end lost his man for the goal which is the overriding feeling for me,” the Pools boss told The Mail.
“I’ve let him know I’m not happy and he needs to learn from that. If he scored two goals and let his man go and we win 2-1 then it’s no real problem.
"But he’s not scored and he’s cost us the game. Maybe that’s me being overly critical but that’s how I feel after the result.”
Goodwin has enjoyed a solid start to life on loan at Pools with a goal and an assist in his first four starts in League Two. But there are also plenty of lessons to be learnt along the way.