Keith Curle delighted with response of Josh Umerah after striker rescues a point for Hartlepool United at Mansfield Town

Umerah was a surprise omission from Curle’s starting XI at the One Call Stadium after being named on the bench - where he would stay until just after the hour mark after Pools had slipped to a two goal deficit.

George Lapslie and Riley Harbottle had given the Stags a commanding led early in the second half with Pools staring another defeat in the face.

But Curle turned to his bench and brought on Umerah who was immediately involved when latching onto Harbottle’s loose back-pass before keeping his composure to go around Christy Pym and hand Pools a lifeline.

And with time running out Umerah was able to get the better of his marker from Alex Lacey’s ball forward to again maintain his composure and slot into the far corner and rescue a draw for Pools and provide the best possible answer to Curle for leaving him out.

“It’s the best way to ram it down the manager's throat. It was excellent,” said Curle of Umerah’s response.

“The thinking is from the beginning of the game their three centre-backs would have got the measure of Josh and they would have enjoyed that physical confrontation.

“After an hour they don’t want an angry, frustrated, disappointed Josh Umerah going on there with a point to prove and he got his rewards.”

Curle added: “It’s one of those. I know Josh was disappointed, and I know Mika was disappointed at half-time coming off and I know Cookey was disappointed that he hasn’t’ started the last two games, but my job is to gain points whichever way they come.

“The big thing is how you handle that disappointment. Come and see me and vent your frustrations and I'll tell you why you aren’t playing.

“Sometimes it's technical, sometimes it's tactical, sometimes it's because I've seen something in the opposition I can potentially exploit.

“I think it’s a case of my decision. I don’t think I'm going to go through every week justifying every decision that I make.

“Will I make every decision right? No, but will I back the decisions that I make? Yes.

“Hopefully I get more right than wrong.”