TWO goals inside five breathtaking minutes took Hartlepool United off the bottom of the EFL thanks to a 2-1 win over Grimsby Town.
Trailing to a brilliant Gavan Holohan goal, Pools fought back later on.
First, Alex Lacey headed in David Ferguson’s cross from the right on 78 minutes before the winner came in the 82nd minute when Josh Umerah got on the end of a Ferguson cross from the left.
The last touch may have been via a Town defender but Keith Curle’s never-say-die side had the points to move off the foot of League Two.
A Holohan goal, back on his favourite turf, seemed inevitable but few could have believed it would come so soon.
Grimsby probed down their right and when the ball broke to the Irishman in the box, he smashed a shot from the outside of his right boot into Ben Killip’s right corner of the net.
Holohan showed his class by not celebrating, though the Poolies on the Mill House Terrace and Neale Cooper Stand seats gave hgiom a generous round of applause for his strike.
Pools had a few bright moments at the other end, where Mo Sylla had an effort blocked, Callum Cooke fired wide from the edge of the box with a Wes McDonald free-kick being beaten out by keeper Max Crocombe.
Grimsby were first out of the blocks for the second half with Harry Clifton’s shot saved by Killip at his near post.
Pools had a sight at goal in the 51st minute when a low Cooke shot was a well saved by the keeper following good work by Nicky Featherstone and Reghan Tumilty.
At the other end it needed a top save from Killip to stop Niall Maher from making it 2-0, the keeper saving with his feet.
Pools were back on terms on 78 minutes thanks to Lacey’s second goal of the season.
Grimsby could only half clear a Pools free-kick and Ferguson put over a great cross which the defender headed into the Town End net.
It got even better for Pools when Umerah made it 2-1 in the 82nd minute.
Ferguson whipped in a fabulous ball in from the left which Umerah met six yards out.
Who gets the goal, who knows, but the result was Pools 2 Grimsby 1. Of that, there is no debate.
Pools: Killip; Murray, Lacey, Ferguson; Tumilty, Featherstone (Robinson 73), Sylla, Cooke, Oduor (Paterson 90); McDonald (Taylor 86), Umerah
Subs (not used): Letheren, Taylor, Hastie, Paterson, Ndjoli, Stephenson
Goals: Lacey 78, Maher OG 82
Booked: Tumilty 17, Lacey 56
Grimsby: Crocombe; Smith, Waterfall, Clifton; Efete, Holohan, Morris, Clifton, Morris (Simmonds 85); Richardson (Green 70), Taylor (People 63)
Subs (not used): Pearson, Cropper, Hunt, Khan
Goal: Holohan 7
Booked: Morris 18, Waterfall 31
Referee: Sam Barrott
Att: 4,600 (away 716)