Lennie Lawrence: Hartlepool United manager admits Pools rarely looked like winning after unbeaten run comes to an end at free-scoring Gateshead

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Hartlepool United manager Lennie Lawrence admitted his side rarely looked like winning during their 4-3 defeat to free-scoring Gateshead on Boxing Day.

Pools, who have now conceded 11 times in their last two trips to the Gateshead International Stadium, made things interesting with a couple of late goals but were outplayed by an impressive Heed side in the second half.

There wasn't a whole host between the two in-form teams in the opening period but there looked to be a gulf in class after the break.

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The home side probably had the better of the play in the first half and raced into a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Tyrelle Newton and Ben Worman, who scored his first league goal of the campaign.

Pools have now conceded 11 times in their last two trips to the Gateshead International Stadium.Pools have now conceded 11 times in their last two trips to the Gateshead International Stadium.
Pools have now conceded 11 times in their last two trips to the Gateshead International Stadium.

Although both goals were well-worked from the home team's point of view, Pools will have been disappointed with their defending; Newton was allowed to drift into the box unmarked for the opener, while the visitors' back line tried and failed to catch Worman offside before goalkeeper Adam Smith was caught in no man's land for the second.

However, Pools pulled one back through the impressive Joe Grey and had chances to at least draw level, the best of which fell to Mani Dieseruvwe and Luke Charman, who was denied by Owen Mason after going through on goal.

The visitors tried to establish more control in the second half but struggled to provide an answer for Gateshead's fluid attacking play.

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Newton struck for the second time, his fourth goal in four games, on the hour and almost completed his hat-trick when he clipped the woodwork 15 minutes later.

Substitute Gary Madine reduced the arrears late on but Owen Oseni dampened Pools' hopes of a comeback when he scored his 12th goal of the season.

There was still time for Madine to score a remarkable long range effort in added time - after a slow start to life at the Prestige Group Stadium, the veteran frontman has now bagged five goals in his last four outings - but it proved to be nothing more than a spectacular consolation as Pools were beaten for the first time in seven National League matches.

Pools, who drop into the bottom half and are now five points adrift of the play-offs, were by no means disgraced in Gateshead but it was perhaps a reminder of how far they still have to go if they're serious about competing in the upper echelons of the division.

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And while Lennie Lawrence hoped the more than 1,000 fans who made the short trip would head home proud of their side, he conceded that his team were always chasing the game after failing to make the most of a flurry of chances in the opening exchanges.

"In a game like that you need to score the first goal - and we had opportunities," he said.

"We started off very well, we had two clear chances in the first 15 minutes and then it becomes a different game.

"Although we've scored three goals, which is terrific, and Gary's was a wonderful bit of technique - he's probably the only one on the pitch that could have done that - we were always chasing the game.

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"We were always coming from behind, very similar to the York game.

"I suppose if we'd scored first we could have won 4-3, but we could have lost it 6-2.

"We were competitive, we never gave up, we tried, we got three goals.

"Did we ever look like winning it? Maybe if we'd scored first, but not really.

"I hope that the fans go home disappointed in the result, but not too disappointed in the performance and still with pride intact."

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