Nevertheless Pools held firm thanks to some goalkeeping heroics and some help from the woodwork – here’s how our matchday reporter rated each players’ performance.
1. Pete Jameson: 9
Outstanding. Kicked well and commanded his area and without a string of late saves, notably from Paul McCallum and Enzio Boldewijn, Pools would have headed home empty-handed. Photo: Frank Reid
2. David Ferguson: 7
Another solid showing from Ferguson, who did well to deal with the dangerous raiding runs of Oscar Rutherford while still getting forward himself as often as he could. Photo: Mark Fletcher
3. Tom Parkes: 8
Together with Luke Waterfall, the 32-year-old kept Paul McCallum and Scott Quigley very quiet while he again proved his is comfortable in possession with some good passes out of defence. Photo: Frank Reid
4. Luke Waterfall: 8
It looked like he really relished the challenge posed by two of the league's most powerful marksmen and he maintained his excellent start to his Pools career with a dominant display. Photo: Mark Fletcher