Sad Pool lose way at end

Hartlepool 2 Exeter 2

Hartlepool boss Bobby Moncur was on target for a major personal honour in his first month back in the game, until his players lost their way in four disastrous minutes on Saturday With Scarborough losing at home. Moncur would have been, a clear favourite to pick up the November manager of the month award for the Fourth Division if his team had managed to hold a two goal lead in the last few minutes. But they flopped. Exeter scored twice in the closing sta ges and now injuries are threatening to cause further problems for the revival Moncur and Pop Robson have inspired at the Ground. Victoria Versatile Tony Barratt, who has switched from fullback to midfield so well that Pool have hardly noticed the absence of John Tinkler, is now injured himself and he will be badly
missed. He limped off three minutes into the second half on Saturday and has already been ruled out of tomorrow's Sherpa Vans visit to Burnley. Right back Paul Haigh is out with a back injury, and there are several other minor problems adding to Moncur's headache. "We were a bit lucky to be 2-0 up" he admitted. "We just didn't play well from the start. and at the end we stopped working as hard as we normally do. "We helped Exeter get draw by throwing everything down the drain in the last four minutes. "Hopefully that can be a lesson for all concerned- including me. Players appear to think we had the game won- but we didn't sit back intentionally, even though we did give Exeter the confidence they needed to come forward." Simon Grayson gave Pool the lead with a good 53rd minute goal, Tony Smith heading the second 15 minutes later. But four minutes from time Darran Rowbotham pulled one back with a header and in the last seconds Shaun Taylor blasted Exeter's shock equaliser, as manager Terry Cooper stood on the terraces commiserating with fans for their long wasted journey.

Hartlepool United
Muggleton, Nobbs, McKinnon, Doig, Smith, Baker, Honour, Toman, Borthwick, Grayson, Barrett (Atkinson), 
Sub:- Allon


Exeter City 
Gwinnett, Banks, Jones, Rogers, Taylor, Cooper, Rowbotham, Hiley, Viney (Harris) Langley (Vinnicombe), Harrower.

Referee: A. Flood (Stockport)