Two first-half goals for Pools proved just enough to secure all three point against Oldham Athletic this afternoon.
Ritchie Jones and Andy Monkhouse grabbed the goals as Chris Turner's men took hold of the game going into the break.
Peter Hartley saw red after the break leading to a dramatic finish to the game but Pools held on for a much-needed 2-1 win.
After a scrappy opening to the first half in which both teams struggled to really take a hold of proceedings, it was the visitors who were first to stamp their mark on the game.
The first chance of the game came in the 15th minute when Joe Colbeck fed the ball square for Dean Smalley to fire in at goal from the edge of the area - fortunately Ben Clark, back in the team in the absence of both Liddle and Collins and playing alongside Julian Cherel this afternoon, got a touch to deflect the effort wide.
Joe Jacobson fired in from distance only to see the ball go wide of target while Jim Goodwin, making his Oldham debut today, caused problems with his tenacious approach to the game.
Pools held firm and dealt with the spell of pressure from the visitors to begin to enjoy more of their own.
And, with 33 minutes on the clock, Christ Turner's men snatched the opener with some slick football.
The goal arrived after some good pressure for Pools down the left wing, with Monkhouse, Bjornsson and Hartley all moving the ball about nicely.
Peter Hartley then picked out Antony Sweeney with a great punt forward, allowing the midfielder to push on to the byline. Sweeney then showed great determination to force his way past his man and send a dangerous ball across the face of goal where Ritchie Jones popped up t o power a header home.
After having played second fiddle for much of the first half, the opener gave Pools a boost and they upped the pressure on Dave Penney's side.
And Oldham did nothing to help their case when Sean Gregan played a sloppy ball from left to right on the edge of the area, allowing Andy Monkhouse, in predator mood, to nip in and snatch possession skip into the box and fire past Dean Brill to make it 2-0.
It was nearly three for Pools just before the break when great work by the industrious Ritchie Humphreys saw a ball flash across the face of goal but Adam Boyd arrived just a second too late and the danger passed.
Turner's men carried their two-goal advantage into the second half and, as was to be expected, Oldham came out fighting after the break.
Clearly looking for an early in into the game, Penney's men were hoping to take advantage of a new-look back four for Pools.
But Ben Clark and Julian Cherel looked at home playing alongside each other - the French defender endearing himself to the Pools' fans with a whole-hearted display this afternoon.
There was a scare when Ryan Brooke threw himself full length at a ball intot he box to send a glancing header goalwards, but good work from the reliable Neil Austin saw the effort go wide of target,
While The Latics worked away at Pools, Turner's men remained the most incisive and likely to add to the scoresheet.
Andy Monkhouse, moved up to join Adam Boyd in attack as Colin Larkin was introduced on the left wing, came desperately close to making it 3-0 when he rose highest in the crowd to send a header goalwards.
But the rangey winger saw his effort smash against the crossbar and bounce back into the melee where Oldham cleared.
Peter Hartley was another who went close for Pools; the left back picked up the ball on the edge of the final third and sent a cheeky effort at goal which dipped just the wrong side of Brill's crossbar but did enough to worry the visiting stopper.
That was virtually the last action for the left back though as he was shown his marching orders late in the game for a clash with Sean Gregan.
After going down to ten men, Pools faced a real scrap to hold on to the two-goal advantage as Oldham really had the bit between their teeth.
And with two minutes left on the clock, a dubious freekick was awarded by the referee, allowing Dale Stephens to lift a teasing ball into the box where Pawell Abbott rose to head past Flinders and set up for a very tense finale for Chris Turner's men.
There was chance for the visitors to draw level when a freekick was lifted into the area from the left wing and Chris Taylor should have done better as he sent his powerful header well wide of target.
The final moments inside The Vic were dramatic as Oldham threw everything at goal and Pools had almost every man inside the box to punt clear where possible.
But the ball stayed out of the net and Turner's men held on to make sure their first result in 2010 was a win.
2634 (176 away)
Pools: Flinders, Austin, Cherel, Clark, Hartley, Jones, Sweeney, Humphreys, Monkhouse, Bjornsson (Larkin 55), Boyd ( McSweeney 75 (Fredriksen 90))
Subs Not Used: Cook, Power, Greulich, Tymon
Oldham Athletic: Brill, Timar, Jacobson, Whitaker, Smalley (Taylor 68), Gregan, Lee, Stephens, Brooke (Blackman 64), Colbeck (Abbott 70)
Subs Not Used: Furman, Black, Ollerenshaw, Marrow
