Exeter City 1 Hartlepool United 2.

Saturday 9 November 2002.

Referee: Trevor Parkes

Att: 2778

BBC match report –

Hartlepool proved there is life after Chris Turner by coming from behind to beat Exeter and preserve their four-point lead at the top of Division Three.

While Turner was making a miserable start to his reign as Sheffield Wednesday boss following his midweek departure, assistant manager Colin West took charge and saw Hartlepool battle back in style.

Renier Moor had fired Exeter ahead just after half-time but they were unable to hold on as goals from Mark Tinkler and Marcus Richardson sealed Hartlepool's 11th win of the season.

Chances were few and far between in the early stages, with neither side able to take a stranglehold on the game.

Exeter boss Neil McNab's half-time team-talk appeared to have inspired his side and within four minutes of the restart they were ahead when Colin Alcide (photo) set up Moor to fire home his third goal of the week.

But Hartlepool needed just 14 minutes to draw level as Tinkler got on the end of Paul Smith's inswinging corner to head his eighth goal of the season.

The visitors immediately pressed for a second goal and forced three successive corners.

The pressure eventually paid off when Smith's corner was headed down by Darrell Clarke and Richardson turned the ball in.

Exeter: Miller, Hiley, Pilkington, Buxton, Roscoe, Thomas, Cronin, Pettefer, Coppinger, Alcide, Moor. Subs: Fraser, Power, Curran, Ampadu, McConnell.

Hartlepool: Anthony Williams, Lee, Barron, Westwood, Clarke, Humphreys, Tinkler, Smith, Barry-Murphy, Eifion Williams, Richardson. Subs: Provett, Arnison, Widdrington, Boyd, Istead.

Referee: T Parkes (W Midlands).