Pools Youth Team's title hopes are hanging by a thread after a 4-1 defeat to a Mansfield Town side who have now won their last four games.

Micky Barron's men now remain two points behind Doncaster Rovers and Hull City at the top of the league, with Hull now holding a game in hand.

Pools were undone by some sloppy defending in the first half at Mansfield, which allowed their hosts to grab two goals from crosses in to the box.

Despite an improvement in their performance after the break, it was Town who got the next goal and extended their lead, before Joe Tait pulled one back when he converted from Craig Gott's corner.

At that stage, Pools hadn't given up hope of a dramatic comeback but all thoughts of that were wiped out when Mansfield ran through to make it 4-1 despite appeals for offside.

"It was a fair result really because we simply didn't perform," admitted Barron afterwards.

"They were better than us on the day and we didn't do the basics right - and if that is the case then you are not going to win football matches.

"Sometimes you get that with young players though, now we have to see how they respond in training during the next couple of days and get them up for the Final on Saturday.

"If we perform like we can then we have a chance on Saturday - but if we perform like we did today then we've got no chance!"

Full Time: Mansfield Town 4 Pools 1

Pools: Proudlock, Quantrill (Purvis), Tait, Ruddy (McRoberts), Forbes, Gott, Ellison, Charlton, Martin (Scott), Tymon, McRoberts.
Subs not used: Herbert, Wakefield.