Keith Curle praises Hartlepool United 'unity' in Doncaster Rovers win

Curle has been provided with 11 new additions in the January transfer window, four of which made their debut in South Yorkshire, as Hartlepool came away with a result ‘the changing room needed.’

Pools enjoyed plenty of early possession but it was a game which lacked any real quality until Jamie Sterry and Dan Kemp linked to find Tayt Trusty who dragged wide from inside the area.

New singing Oliver Finney went close when looping the ball over Jonathan Mitchell and wide of the post before the home side forced the ascendancy more in the second half with Caolan Lavery bringing a good save out of Jakub Stolarczyk.

Harrison Biggins fired wide twice before Sterry was within inches of breaking the deadlock as the game looked to be heading for a stalemate.

But with just one minute remaining of normal time, Dodds gallivanted forward to meet Josh Umerah’s pass and fire a wonderful effort beyond Mitchell to keep Pools out of the bottom two.

“I said it in the team meeting that everybody today had to play their part and that was evident,” said Curle.

“All the lads that travelled who didn’t make the bench or make the first team, to get that unity it means everybody.

“If you travel and you're not involved you still play a massive part. We won that as a group and as a unit and we need that unity.”

Curle added: “I’m buzzing. It’s what you’re in the game for.

“You’ve made acquisitions to improve the squad and then you want to see them go out and perform and, ultimately, getting a result the changing room merits.

“It’s been a busy couple of days with the end of the January transfer window and bedding the players in.

“We knew we were going to be playing against a very good team in Doncaster so we tried to be solid as a team without them really hurting us.

“We had the two best chances in the first half and then we scored a goal on the counter attack. The changing room needed that and the changing room have earned that.”