What Hartlepool United boss Kevin Phillips said about decision not to award his side a second goal in National League clash at Woking

Midfielder Tom Crawford thought he had doubled the away side’s early lead with a 33rd-minute header in their Saturday teatime National League clash.

But, amid doubts as to whether a foul had been committed or whether the ball had fully crossed the line or not, Crawford’s effort was not allowed to stand.

The decision proved crucial as second-bottom Woking gradually worked their way back into the match.

Pools keeper Joel Dixon denied Dennon Lewis an equaliser with a fine save before the Surrey side eventually equalised with a 91st-minute Lewis Walker goal.

Phillips, still unbeaten as Hartlepool head coach after three matches, told the club’s website afterwards: “You are probably going to ask the question how we did not get given the goal when it was a yard over the line? It was an absolute joke.

"It was a clear goal. For it to be disallowed was disappointing from our point of view.”

But Phillips conceded that a draw was probably a fair result overall, adding: “In the second half we just could not get hold of the ball.

"We got turned over in possession too easy and, fair play to Woking, they pushed and pushed and pushed and put us under lots of pressure and threw lots of high ball into the box.

"We dealt with it but we could not hold on in the end.”

Pools, who took the lead in the seventh minute when striker Joe Grey stabbed home David Ferguson’s cross, have now taken seven points from nine in three matches since Phillips took over last month.

The 1-1 draw, which was televised live by TNT Sports, leaves Pools six points shy of the final play-off spot in 11th place.

They have also played more matches than the majority of teams around them.

After a daunting away schedule in the south of England, however, they do now have two home games in a row against Boreham Wood on Saturday, February 17, at 3pm and Altrincham on Tuesday, February 20, at 7.45pm.

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