Mixed emotions for Hartlepool United striker after Leyton Orient draw

From the outset, heading into the game, Hartlepool looked set for a difficult afternoon as 23rd hosted first in League Two - Hartlepool without a win in eight games against an O’s side unbeaten in eight.

But as the game wore on, that presumption failed to play out as a tense contest ensued at the Suit Direct Stadium.

Even after Paul Smyth had given Leyton Orient the lead early in the second half, Hartlepool refused to go along with the script.

Instead, John Askey's side fought their way back into things with Connor Jennings’ equaliser before coming within inches of claiming all three points on two occasions when hitting the post and the bar.

“It’s a bit frustrating. It’s mixed emotions,” Jennings admitted to The Mail after the game.

“But it’s football, sometimes it’s not fair. All you can do is just keep going until the last game and hope that these draws will turn into wins.”

He added: “We certainly gave it everything in the last 20 minutes. Unfortunately we just couldn’t get that second goal.

“There’s a lot of good things, and still a lot of things to work on, but we certainly gave it our all. It’s just a shame we couldn’t get that second for the winner.

“Since I’ve come in we’ve come back quite a few times in games. So you can’t fault the lads and the character they’re showing.

“It’s just, as I keep saying, the difference in changing them draws into wins which we need to do pretty quick.”

Jennings scored his second goal in Hartlepool colours when sweeping home Josh Umerah’s low cross into the box.

And the striker, signed from Stockport County in January, admits it was a special moment for him to share with the home crowd.

“I saw the cross come in from Josh and I had to stay calm and just try and hit the target and luckily it went in,” he said.

“I enjoyed it. Especially with the fans behind the net and down the side, they were brilliant.

“The fans were superb in the last 20, they really got behind us and they gave us that boost. It’s just a shame we couldn’t get the win for them.

“We did believe it was going to come with the chances we had but unfortunately not.

“We’ve just got to keep going, keep believing and giving everything we can.”

Despite another spirited performance and, in isolation, another very good point, Hartlepool remain cut adrift in the League Two relegation zone with just eight games now remaining.

The first of that run-in comes against Swindon Town with Jennings of the belief that if his side can continue to deliver the same level of performances the wins will eventually come.

“It’s a massive eight games,” he said.

“You always hear the saying about it being like cup finals but it’s eight cup finals. You couldn't get any more right than that saying in this situation.

“There’s a lot of work to be done but the way we’re attacking games, surely it’s got to come.”

Get the latest Hartlepool United headlines with our free football newsletter! Follow the action from the Suit Direct Stadium and beyond as we bring the sport news to you. Visit our website here to sign up!