Moore: Burton aren’t 40 points better than Hartlepool

Moore described the game at Victoria Park as “awful”, an 88th minute winner from sub Florent Cuvelier enough to separate the teams.

The win sent Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s Burton top with 67 points, while Pools remain stuck on 27 points – eight points from safety with a shocking goal difference of -32.

Moore was left bemused and frustrated after watching his side throw away a point.

“At home of late, we’ve been good and I never thought at all we would lose that one,” reflected Moore.

“I never had the feeling we had to do something to stop them coming but I never had the feeling we would win it either.

“You see the game out, to come off 0-0 against a top of the table side would have been good for confidence.

“But there’s certainly not 40 points difference between us is there?

“I felt we were the better team, but they will be the happier, Jimmy especially.

“There wasn’t much difference between us yet they have 67 points – they didn’t deserve to win it but we didn’t deserve to lose.”

Moore was once again left cursing defensive naivety as his side fell to their 22nd league defeat of the campaign.

The goal came from an attacking Pools free-kick, Jordan Jones whipped the ball in, keeper Jon McLaughlin punched clear and Albion broke at pace.

Nicky Featherstone, and then Jordan Jones, failed to put in a tackle on Stuart Beavon near the half-way line before the Brewers striker played in Cuvelier.

He had got a run on Neil Austin and Scott Harrison before finishing low underneath Scott Flinders.

It left Moore angry and frustrated in equal measure.

He added: “It was an awful game, poor considering the opposition.

“The wind spoiled it and we said at half-time one mistake would make the difference and it was us who had it.

“We needed to play in their half more and the last 10 minutes they came at us more than I wanted.

“We have just been naive and that’s why the goals against column is what it is.

“I’ve said since I’ve been here, show them down the line and don’t allow them inside.

“So we let them inside and then you take one for the team – a little pull or tug.

“Do not allow him to come in and roll the ball for someone to latch onto – that’s naive from two experienced players and that’s frustrating.”

Moore made three changes, Connor Smith, Jonathan Franks and Michael Duckworth dropped in favour of Dan Jones, Jordan Jones and Marlon Harewood.

He added: “I made changes because I was concerned about Lucas Akins down the right and stuck Dan in there.

“Ducky has been struggling defensively lately and being out won’t do him any harm.

“He wouldn’t have added much going forward, there wasn’t many crosses and not much quality because of the type of game it was.”

- RICHARD MENNEAR