Keith Curle reacts to Hartlepool United's entertaining draw with Harrogate Town

After a disappointing first half in which Hartlepool were, perhaps, fortunate to go in level at the break after Josh Umerah scored his 11th goal of the season to cancel out Alex Pattison’s fourth minute opener, the game burst into life after the break.

Curle’s side took the lead within a minute of the restart as Mark Shelton, operating in an unnatural right-back position, got forward well to cross low which fell to Mohamad Sylla who scored his first goal for the club.

It was a lead which was short-lived however, as Harrogate equalised just minutes later when former Middlesbrough man Sam Folarin burst forward through the middle to place in the bottom corner.

But the pendulum swung back in Hartlepool’s favour when Shelton curled in a delightful goal just after the hour to restore the advantage.

But once again, Pools were unable to hold onto their lead as Harroagte levelled to take a point from the Suit Direct Stadium thanks to George Thomson’s stunning strike with little over 15 minutes remaining.

“How we accepted disappointment and how we dealt with disappointment by going a goal down. Our heads didn’t drop,” Curle said when asked what pleased him most about the draw.

“When we went a goal in front and they equalised, heads didn’t drop. When we went ahead again and they equalised, heads didn’t drop.

“Technically, there’s lots of things that we will discuss and go through and know that we can improve on, but the mental aspect, you can tell, is growing. We’re accepting challenges.”

Despite those positives Curle took from the game, there is an acceptance his side need to be able to hold onto a lead better in the coming weeks having given up four leads across the festive period.

Pools were pegged back at Rochdale on Boxing Day - before they would go on to retake the lead and claim all three points, before seeing a first half advantage wiped out by Mansfield Town.

And here, Pools saw two second half leads pass them by as Harroagte were able to claim a point.

“There’s a saying in football, we might be going back to my day, but good teams can win 1-0,” Curle told The Mail.

“I still stand by that because, if you read into that, you’re able to close games out whether you score in the first five minutes or whether you score in the 85th minute.

“You’re able to close games out and have an understanding as a group to play from your shape and stay in the game.”

Curle did suggest his side were not content with a draw heading into the closing stages after highlighting his substitutions as an attempt to win the game.

Curle said: “Wes McDonald coming on and Chris Missilou coming on operating up on the right hand side trying to break forward. I don’t think it was a case of defensive substitutions. Bearing in mind I only had one defender on the bench.”