Gary Madine’s third goal in as many matches gave Hartlepool United a vital 2-1 victory over fellow play-off hopefuls Yeovil Town at the Prestige Group Stadium.
The experienced forward was in the right place at the right time in the 83rd minute to edge out the team with the second best away record in the National League.
Mani Dieseruvwe’s 10th league goal of the programme and his 21st of 2024 in all competitions had got Pools in front, only for sub Kofi Shaw to equalise but Madine’s winner lifted Pools to within two points of the top seven.
Pools, beaten only once since Lennie Lawrence took charge, now move on to play Gateshead in Boxing Day’s National League derby at the International Stadium.
The strong wind blowing across the pitch wreaked havoc, not only with the football but with the ground.
Play was suspended on the 28-minute mark when referee Aaron Jackson was concerned by a damaged part of a sign on the roof of the Rink End, taking both sides off the field.
On resumption, Pools were forced into a change with Joe Grey, who had made way for Anthony Mancini’s return to the starting XI, coming on for the injured Adam Campbell.
Deep into the first period, the Glovers were thankful to two saves from Ollie Wright.
First, he beat out a Mancini shot, with Dieseruvwe putting the rebound wide, before he saved from sub Joe Grey after great footwork in the Town area by defender Tom Parkes.
Yeovil had presented little danger, with the exception of a Brett McGavin free-kick which was well taken by former Town stopper Adam Smith.
The second half was a much livelier affair with a Dieseruvwe header clipping the top of the bar early on.
Pools had an escape in the 53rd minute when Aaron Jarvis had the ball in the net from a free-kick, but the linesman flagged him as offside.
Ten minutes later Pools went ahead when Parkes went down in the box when he was trying to get on the end of a free-kick.
Referee Jackson had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, indicating that the defender had been pushed.
Dieseruvwe sent Wright the wrong way, putting his penalty into the goalie’s left corner.
At the other end Adam Smith saved well down to his right from Michael Smith’s low shot but the Glovers levelled on the 80th minute from a similar position.
Shaw broke forward and took aim with an angled shot from 25 yards which found the right corner of Smith’s goal.
However, Pools regained the lead three minutes later after Nathan Sheron, who had another great game at right-back, did the spadework with some fine footwork. Dieseruvwe and Mancini both saw shots blocked before Madine put the loose ball high onto the away net to grab three vital points for Lawrence’s men.
Pools: Smith, Sheron, Waterfall, Parkes, Ferguson, Hunter, Featherstone, Charman (Madine 62), Campbell (Grey 43), Mancini (Dodds 84), Dieseruvwe,
Subs (not used): Young, Sass-Davies, Bondswell, LuaLua
