Adam Boyd's first senior hat trick sealed all three points for Pools this evening as Neale Cooper's men eased to victory over fellow play-off hopefuls Sheffield Wednesday.

The victory, played out in torrential rain, sees Pools leapfrog The Owls into fourth spot, and leaves their play-off fate firmly in their own hands.

Pools started the game brightly and, after two successive early corners, Ritchie Humphreys won a free kick just outside the area. And, although Paul Gallacher parried the initial shot, BOYD was on hand to tap the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net.

Sheffield Wednesday, struggling with injuries, did not look like a side pushing for the play offs as they posed little danger to Dimitrios Konstantopoulos and the main threat to Pools was the increasing amount of water settling on the Victoria Park pitch.

Michael Nelson found himself in the unusual position of being one on one with the visiting keeper on the quarter hour mark. After playing a clever one-two with Boyd, Nelson looked set to smash the ball past Gallacher, but instead tried to take the ball round the keeper and lost out.

It was not long though before BOYD stepped up to double his tally. A long ball out of defence by Matty Robson picked out the striker rushing towards goal. Boyd did well to run clear of the Wednesday defenders and drill a right-footed shot into the back of the net.

Lee Peacock went closest for the visitors in the opening period, forcing Konstantopoulos into a one-handed save at the post and then firing over the bar from distance, but Pools looked comfortable throughout the half and took their pressure into the second period.

Boyd had two great chances just after the break to bag his hat trick, with Lee Bullen blocking his shot on the line when everyone inside The Vic, including the striker himself, was certain it was a goal and then Boyd fired just inches wide of the post after good work by substitute Eifion Williams.

However, BOYD made no mistake just before the hour mark when he received the ball on the edge of the box. The striker took time to pick out his spot before coolly chipping Gallacher and placing the ball into the back of the net for his twenty-sixth goal of an impressive season.

With the surface water creating problems for both sides, it was Pools who coped the better and any move forward was dealt with easily by the defence, with Michael Nelson in particular in outstanding form.

Cooper's men went close late on when Ritchie Humphreys fired just wide from distance but, in the end, it was Boyd's three goals that separated the two teams as Pools recorded their first-ever league win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Full Time: Pools 3 Sheffield Wednesday 0

Pools: Konstantopoulos, Clark (Tinkler, 81), Nelson, Westwood, Robson, Humphreys, Strachan, Sweeney, Butler (Daly, 75), Porter (Williams, 8), Boyd

Subs: Provett, Craddock

Sheffied Wednesday: Gallacher, Bullen, Heckingbottom, Adams, McGovern, Collins, Wood, Brunt (McMahon, 62), Hamshaw, Peacock (Quinn, 61), Barrett (Talbot, 61)

Subs: Adamson, Greenwood