Hartlrpool United went down to a fourth defeat on the spin when they lost 1-0 at Forest Green Rovers.
While Pools produced an improved performance at the exquisite New Lawn they could not translate that into a goal and it’s now six hours without finding the opposition net.
Boss Darren Sarll rang the changes with five alterations with Adam Smith, Nicky Featherstone, Joe Grey and Mani Dieseruvwe all being moved down to the bench, with loan signing Nathan Asiimwe dropping out of the squad completely.
At the back, there was a welcome return for David Ferguson after missing Tuesday night’s defeat to Rochdale because of suspension.
It was a huge day for Brad Young, with the local lad making this debut in goal on loan from Premier League Leicester City.
The midfield underwent a complete re-shuffle with a diamond, with Nathan Sheron at the base and Adam Campbell at the top with Greg Sloggett and Darren Robinson coming in for starts alongside them.
Ferguson came close to giving Pools a fifth-minute lead.
His free-kick looked destined for the top corner until keeper Jed Ward flapped it over.
Pools had an even better opening in the 17th minute but Gary Madine was unable to head in Campbell’s superb cross after a slick passing move down the right.
Lively Luke Charman brought a save from Ward with a low shot and from the resulting corner, Luke Waterfall flashed a header wide.
Little was seen of Rovers as an attacking force though there were two scares when Jordan Taylor-Moore and Jamie Robson putting crosses across the face of the away goal.
Young also produced his first save from a Tom Knowles shot.
After the break, Pools controlled play and should have taken a 63rd minute lead when Madine set up Sheron, with the midfielder finding the side-netting.
Midway through the second half, Steve Cotterill made a quadruple change bringing on Marcel Lavinier, Ryan Inniss, Harry Cardwell and Tyrese Osadebe for Knowles, Harvey Bunker, Liam Sercombe and Kyle McAllister.
The substitutions paid dividends when Lavinier and Osadebe linked up cleverly down the right side, before teeing up Charlie McCann who slotted his effort into Young’s right corner.
Sarll made a double change, sending on Dieseruvwe and Grey.
Forest Green almost doubled their lead following a long Ben Tozer throw but Cardwell’s bullet header was brilliantly saved by a flying Young.
Pools threw everything at Rovers at the death, with Dieseruvwe having a shot blocked and Featherstone seeing a header go over as the referee called time on proceedings.
Pools: Young, Dodds, Waterfall, Parkes, Ferguson, Sheron (Featherstone 88′), Sloggett (Mancini 88′), Robinson (Grey 72′), Campbell, Charman (Mathurin 82′), Madine (Dieseruvwe 64′)
Subs (not used): Smith, Sass-Davies
