Craig Harrison reveals Kenton Richardson injury fears as he criticises Hartlepool United's defensive capabilities

The young right-back had to be taken off in the 39th minute of the 2-1 loss to Maidenhead this afternoon, in which a Louis Laing own goal and a Sean Marks strike ensured Pools suffered their fifth defeat on the bounce, despite taking a 27th minute lead courtesy of Jake Cassidy.

And manager Harrison fears he could be without Richardson for some time.

"We have injuries and had to reshuffle the defence - it looks like Kenton has fractured a collarbone," he said.

"He’s very unfortunate. He has never let us down and started well. Then he steps inside and lands badly and it looked like another long-term injury."

Harrison was angry at the way his side gifted the opposition goals at the Vic, throwing away yet another lead on home turf.

"t’s a game we looked like winning, I can’t lie," he said.

"Whoever you play against you have to shut the back door and we didn’t defend like we should do. It was poor, very poor.

“We were on top and in cruise control. I’ve said a million times and that second goal would kill them off, but it’s embarrassing we need a second goal to win a game.

"We want a second goal, we could have had three of four but you have to win a game 1-0 and move on. We again showed our fragilities.

"Goals we concede are as bad as others we concede. We have done double sessions in training on defending. I’ve been more worried about it than anything else. Defensively we have been poor.

"We are out there in training morning and afternoon, sessions, reviewing goals, showing how the opposition score, where they come from. It’s there to see and it seems we go into a game and look frail as a defensive unit."