Keith Curle searches for positives in Hartlepool United's defeat at Swindon Town

Pools gifted the Robins a two goal lead inside 18 minutes which proved insurmountable despite Clarke Oduor’s first goal for the club.

Jonny Williams was on hand to convert at the back post on 12 minutes before Luke Jephcott added a second six minutes later to leave Pools with a mountain to climb. But where Curle’s side capitulated in the Papa Johns Trophy against Everton under-21s in midweek, Pools wrestled a way back into the game when Oduor converted before the half-hour mark.

But Pools were unable to find an equaliser, with substitute Mohamad Sylla denied by Middlesbrough loan goalkeeper Sol Brynn, as Curle’s side remain bottom of the League Two table.

“We gave a very good team a two goal start. We didn’t stop crosses. We allowed balls into our box,” said Curle.

“It was poor defending at the back post playing against a team that have got confidence and have good movement. They’ve got good wide players who can open you up and we’ve got to be able to deal with it.

“We got the goal back so the game is always in the balance and arguably, apart from their one-on-one, which is defendable, Mo Sylla’s opportunity would have made it a very interesting five or six minutes at the end.”

And it was that reaction at 2-0 down which Curle highlighted for praise from his players at full-time. Where Pools have seen their heads drop and allowed games to be taken away from them at that stage, they clawed their way back into things with Oduor’s goal.

“When the second goal went in, the first thing I did was look at the players’ body language. Are they sparked out? No. They were disappointed, they were angry, they were frustrated but then they go and get a goal back and change the game and stay in the game,” Curle told The Mail.

“And that was the message at half-time: stay in the game. Don’t give a good team another two goals. And we created one or two skirmishes in their box, but we need a few more.”