Hartlepool 1 Bromley 2: Pools' unbeaten run comes to abrupt end on home turf despite late Liam Noble strike

Marc-Anthony Okoye and a quite brilliant strike from Luke Coulson ensured Pools missed out on the opportunity to leapfrog their opponents, despite Liam Noble reducing the arrears in the 90th minute with a long-range effort.

On the selection front Pools were dealt a blow pre-game with the news that Luke James - a key component in the club's recent on-field revival - would miss out with a hamstring injury.

In his place Niko Muir was given a chance to shine, alongside five in five striker Nicke Kabamba. Youngster Josh Scott was named on the bench.

Zero points and four goals separated these sides - 12th and 13th respectively - before kick-off but there were light years between the duo in terms of football. While Bromley went direct in a 4-4-2, with a real physical approach, Pools continued to play football the Craig Hignett way.

Aaron Cunningham timed a run to perfection from a Josh Hawkes corner but his header skidded wide after just three minutes.

Pools, on the front foot, continued to pepper the visiting goal with Hawkes trying his luck from distance and Noble seeing a goal-bound free-kick blocked.

On top but crucially not in front, Pools left the back door open.

A long throw broke kindly for Okoye, who cracked in from a tight angle. It was a goal totally against the run of play.

The goal did not dent Pools' attacking intent, as they continued to press the opposition.

Bromley aren't pretty but they certainly are effective.

And they made it two goals just before the break when some poor defending by Pools allowed Coulson the chance to flick the ball quite over the head of Cunningham before teasing home on the volley. It was a quite brilliant strike at the end of the first 45 and it was a killer blow for Pools' chances.

While Pools kept up their intensity in the first half, that goal seemed to pop their bubble somewhat after the break.

Despite a positive change by Hignett, bringing on Luke Molyneux for Danny Amos, it was the visitors who looked the more likely to score and increase their advantage.

Scott Loach had to be at his very best to deny Bromley skipper George Porter at the back post, advancing to smother the wideman's effort at source.

At the other end some smart work from Liam Noble found Muir, whose first time strike was well struck, but wide.

And despite some late attempts to close the gap in the encounter, Pools struggled to break down their well-organised opponents as Bromley held out for what, in the end, proved quite a comfortable victory.

Noble did crack in from 30 yards with three minutes of six added to make it 2-1 but it proved too little, too late for Pools. That goal was Noble's 13th of the campaign, and sixth from open play.

It was a result which did nothing to change Pools' position in the fifth tier table, with Hignett & Co still occupying 13th place, but it did see them fall 13 points behind Salford in seventh place. Despite some noises to the contrary from within the camp lately, that result probably sees any hopes of Pools at Wembley in the play-offs put to bed.

Referee Gareth Rhodes was a controversial figure on the day, frustrating those on the pitch and the terraces with some baffling decisions throughout.