Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett reveals what impressed him with last-gasp winner in 2-1 victory over Yeovil Town

While it’s not good for stress levels, Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett admitted everyone will be better off for the manner in which his side won at Victoria Park on Saturday.

Yeovil Town’s Rhys Murphy cancelled out Gime Toure’s opener in the 91st-minute of the match as Pools looked to be heading for a third straight 1-1 draw.

The equaliser hit Hignett hard, but his players had other plans as Jason Kennedy popped up at the other end to snatch a winner just moments later.

“I was properly deflated after their goal, I was out,” Hignett admitted.

“The players obviously didn’t feel like me because the one bit that was telling for me was when we had a throw in just after they scored and Mark Kitching ran for the ball whereas I’m thinking, ‘does he want to run for that or should we take what we’ve got?’

“Now that’s not like me but it had been so late and I just felt deflated so for them to keep going and playing some all right stuff as well was great.

“It always is better to win like we did because it reinforces everything. It reinforces the belief, the team spirit the never say die attitude, when you win like that you get such a buzz from it.

“All the players will be feeling really happy about it whereas if we’d won 1-0 we’d have said ‘good job, well done’. To do it the way they did and the fans will be happier about it, it just gives everyone a lift to win a game like that.”

The victory also prompted Hignett to try and remember the last time his side scored a last-minute winner in the league.

He added: “I don’t know when was the last time did that, was it Dover the last time we won a game in injury time when Luke Molyneux scored?”

“But when was the last time a team have equalised late and we’ve gone and scored in injury time?”

A Jonathan Franks volley saw Pools claim victory in similar fashion at Morecambe back in 2013 which also ended a five game winless run.