Keith Curle reveals particular frustration over Barrow goal but concedes Hartlepool United must improve

Whitfield powered in the second of the afternoon inside the opening 10 minutes for the Bluebirds as they blew Hartlepool away in the opening quarter of the game.

Pete Wild’s team raced into a 3-0 lead with Pools miles off the pace in the early exchanges as they succumbed to their 11th defeat of the season to slip to the bottom of the League Two table once again.

But Curle confessed he felt slightly aggrieved in the build-up to Barrow’s second goal when referee Lee Doughty did not wave Tumilty back onto the field after receiving treatment with the assist for the goal from Josh Kay originating from that area of the field.

“It’s not a good start,” said Curle.

“The first goal is disappointing with poor decision making from Ben, but he understands that. The second one, in my mind, there is a little bit of controversy as our player gets injured, we get the foul, the player needs to receive treatment and has to go off the field of play.

“We take the free kick long into the opposition's half - why is our full-back not allowed to go on and resume his position?

“We remonstrated with the linesman and the next thing you know the ball lands in his vicinity, they have a touch and open play up, switch the play and then goal. In my mind I don't see the reasoning why the player cannot come back onto the field of play.”

Nevertheless, Curle did not hide from the fact his side were second best for the opening 45 minutes as the game ran away from them with the interim manager highlighting the need for his team to start games better.

“I understand where we are but I'm not going to start feeling sorry for myself and I'm not going to allow the changing room to feel sorry for themselves,” said Curle.

“There’s players in there in the second half that played for a little bit of pride, I’ve not got a problem with that. We’ve got to start games with that mentality.

“There’s nothing wrong with playing in the opposition's half making decisive decisions.

“There’s a way of being a good player which is making good decisions. We haven't got a changing room full of players that make consistently good decisions and it’s affecting us.

“It’s basics. But we show, at times, we do make good decisions, which is the frustrating part, then there’s other times you’re thinking ‘wow’ does this lot even know each other? As a team they’re not helping each other.

“But I’ve said to them, come the end of the season, allied with myself and the coaching staff, they’re going to have a large say in who’s sat in that changing room, sat in that shirt, representing this football club and keeping this football club in the league and they’ve got to understand that.”