HARTLEPOOL United fell to their second away defeat of the season when they went down 2-1 at Northampton Town.
Paul Hartley’s side trailed to a goal from from Tyler Magloire, briefly an on-loan Poolie under Dave Challinor, when Pools dozed off at a throw-in.
The away team were level in the dying seconds of the first half when Josh Umerah headed in at the near post, but the Cobblers won it before the hour mark when Louis Appere scored a goal you would have thought VAR had been involved in given the length of time it took to be awarded .
The clash was played out in sweltering heat at Sixfields with the players being given a drinks break midway through each half.
The first away opportunity came in the 13th minute when David Ferguson's right-foot shot was deflected for a corner after good link-up play down the right between Jamie Sterry and Callum Cooke.
Ben Killip was hardly busy but was the more active of the two goalies with a couple of routine saves before making a good stop low to his left from Harvey Lintott.
The luckless goalie then produced two stunning saves from Danny Hylton to keep out the Cobblers, only for ex-Poolie Magloire to force the ball in from a few inches.
With the half-time just seconds away, Pools drew level with a near identical goal to the Town opener.
Callum Cooke whipped in a free-kick which Lee Burge saved at point-blank range but, like the home goal, Umerah nods it in from very very close in for his first Pools goal.
Northampton regained the lead on 57 minutes with an Appere goal which took over a minute to award.
He saw his first attempt blocked on the line by Lacey before Appere blasted in the rebound/.
Referee Sunny Gill took an age before giving the goal, while booking Lacey, seemingly for handball on his own goalline, and Sam Hoskins for dissent.
Pools should have been level on the hour after good play by Hastie, Ferguson looked in on goal only for the ball to run instead to Umerah whose left foot shot was somehow saved by Burge.
It proved to be the last chance for Pools.
Despite having a mountain of possession in the last 10 minutes or so as the Cobblers struggled to get out of their own half, the team in red and black could make no impression on the hosts.
Northampton: Burge; Lintott, Magloire, Guthrie, Koiki; Pinnock (Haynes 88), McWilliams, Sowerby (Leonard 46), Hoskins; Hylton (Bowie 78), Appere (Fox 68).
Subs (not used): Maxted, Dyche, Cross
Goals: Magloire 31, Appere 57
Booked: Pinnock 39, Hoskins 58, Haynes 90
Pools: Killip; Lacey, Menayese, Murray; Sterry, Sylla (Crawford 73), Featherstone, Cooke, Ferguson; Hastie (Hamilton 73), Umerah.
Subs: Letheren, Paterson, Tumilty, Shelton Niang
Goal: Umerah 45
Booked: Menayese 52, Lacey 58, Crawford 76
Referee: Sunny Gill
Att: 4,828 (away 205)