Hartlepool United winner awarded to Grimsby Town defender as ex-Ipswich Town boss is left disappointed in defeat

Hurst was left scratching his head after watching his Mariners side surrender a lead at the Suit Direct Stadium as Hartlepool scored two goals in the space of four minutes in the closing stages of the game to clinch a crucial win at the foot of the League Two table. Grimsby took the lead through former Pools midfielder Gavan Holohan before Alex Lacey levelled things up 12 minutes from time.

And Pools completed the turnaround four minutes later with what looked like Josh Umerah’s eighth goal of the season, as he guided David Ferguson’s cross into the far corner of Max Crocombe’s net. But the goal has been given to Mariners defender Maher, with Hurst confirming the defender diverted the ball into his own net.

“Niall Maher said he got the last touch to it so whether it really took it off course I don’t know,” Hurst told BBC Radio Humberside.

“I’m not sure if Umerah got a touch on it or not, he was certainly stretching for it, then Niall is going in with someone and he said it came off him.”

Hurst added: “I felt at any time if we could get that second [we would go on to win]. The crowd had started to show some frustration at half-time, and thereafter, and we felt if we got a second it would have taken that little bit of fight that they had in them still away from them.

“But in the end they get the goal and the crowd get behind them and they get the winner and they’re celebrating, and rightly so.

“They got the win, I’ve got no problem with that. Of course they’re going to celebrate because it's been a little while for them. I don’t like it when a team hasn’t won for that long and realistically, in my opinion at least, that run should have been extended.

“Sometimes you get beat and you deserve to get beat. I don’t feel that today.

“We had enough situations in the game and you’ve got to put it to bed but we don’t and that’s something that has cost us. If you don’t take your chances, you keep the back door open and Hartlepool barged through that.”

Much of the talk ahead of the game was about the return of Holohan to the Suit Direct Stadium and the Irishman took just seven minutes to make his mark with a wonderful strike to open the scoring. Holohan scored 23 times for Hartlepool but will struggle to top the goal he scored against them at the Suit Direct Stadium.

“It’s a great strike. He didn’t celebrate out of respect for the club he played for but I think their fans, in turn, showed their respect for Gav for what he did here,” said Hurst.

“But he’ll be as disappointed as anyone, if not more, that in the end, apart from a nice highlight reel when he finishes his career, it doesn’t really count for much today.”