Stevenage caretaker boss Darren Sarll proud of Hartlepool triumph

In winning 2-1 at Hartlepool, Boro eased the pressure at the foot of Sky Bet League Two - while heaping it on the shoulders of home boss Ronnie Moore.

Pools have now lost an astonishing eight times at home this season and they sit third bottom of English football's fourth tier.

But Boro's win, as hard-fought as it was, came thanks to some spirit and dogged defending, leading Sarll to praise his players.

"At 2-1, it was all about showing spirit and organisation, and Charlie Lee was a wrecking machine in front of the back four," he said.

"It's very hard for a team in a season when wins are a bit scarce to get into a winning flow and know how to see games out.

"We can concede late on, you become accustomed to doing that and we have done it this season.

"Then we see the characters, the big characters in the team coming to the fore, the likes of Ronnie Henry, Keith Keane and Dean Wells.

"We pressed and chased, and closed down and put a really good shift in at times.

"It's a first win for us, it's nice to go into a game on Saturday on the back of a win. We go back into training and understand we have to start again.''

Substitute Tom Conlon fired the visitors ahead on 45 minutes - his rasping drive from the edge of the penalty area was some first career goal.

He then tapped in on 52 minutes to double the lead, before Pools' skipper Billy Paynter volleyed one back on 68 minutes.

Sarll added: "It's really pleasing and you could see the resolve of a team being together for me. It was comfortable for 60 minutes, then they score and we showed real resolve to see it out.

"The start was very good, we could have been two-up and the goal on half-time was brilliant.

"It was comfortable at 2-0. I have the mentality of hating sitting back, I like to be comfortable and get away from it.''

Pools boss Ronnie Moore admitted: "It's very frustrating, we are devastated when you look how important it was. There's games in hand, but lose them and you are in trouble.

"Dagenham lost and this was a great chance to close the gap on Stevenage with five games in hand.

"I couldn't believe the first 35-40 minutes. We spoke about getting in behind them, causing problems.

"But we have to pass it, play, get in at the right times. We look like a bag of nerves. Our keeper makes two world-class saves to keep it 0-0 early on.

"We let the lad come across on his left-foot to shot into the top corner. We talked at half-time about doing it right and concede a sloppy one again.

"At 2-0, they sit deep and we haven't taken the chances.

"I didn't see that performance coming, I honestly didn't. Players have to give more as a team, more as individuals.

"We have better players than last year as individuals, but as a team do we show that same willingness to play as a group?"