Atmosphere In Ground Drove Us On - Boss

Danny Wilson satisfied with his team after they twice came from behind to take a point in an entertaining tussle with Carlisle United. Goals from Richard Barker and Michael Mackay - his first for the Club - saw Pools secure a draw and stay fifth in the League One table.

"We got back to the tempo we can play at," Wilson told Pools World after the game. "I thought the lads started the game really well and when we went behind it was totally against the run of play. "It was great to see some atmosphere in the ground - it was fantastic and I think that helped us as well tonight and drove us throughout the game.

"Overall, we could have created a bit more but the tempo, passing and movement was excellent once again."

Greg Abbott opted for an unchanged starting line up for this top of the table, fourth place against fifth, clash at the Victoria Ground, with both Hackney and Anyinsah keeping their places on the flanks. United were wary of a backlash from the Pool who had suffered an unexpected defeat at the hands of Walsall at the weekend, and they were quick to cover whenever the home side got the ball in the early exchanges.

Brown created the first half chance of the evening in the 3rd minute when he broke down the wing before lofting a cross towards the far post. Foster was racing in, but it was slightly too high for him and Anyinsah was able to clear. Pool earned themselves three corners in the opening 7 minutes after an industrious start, but Carlisle were defending in numbers and making sure that the door remained closed. Carlisle got forward themselves in the 13th minute with Anyinsah and Garner linking well. Red shirts were making themselves available, but the on-loan Preston man opted for a long range drive that was never troubling the target.

The Referee was playing a big part in the opening 15 minutes, with two cards shown and the whistle constantly interrupting the play, as the game lingered right on the edge of bursting in to life. It did just that in the 19th minute when the Cumbrians raced away down the left hand side as Aranalde latched on to a great pass from Hackney. He wasted no time at all in swinging it in, picking out the stretching Anyinsah beyond the far post. He poked it back towards the danger area, and Danny Graham was on hand to bustle it over the line and open the scoring on the night.

Pool were still pressing, but it was excellent defensive work from the visitors as they covered every blade of grass in a bid to restrict the openings in front of goal. Barker finally got a clear sight of goal on the half hour mark when he rose highest for a McCunnie cross, 13 yards from the target. He connected well enough, but it lacked direction and flew well wide of the upright. At the other end, Carlisle got their first corner in the 32nd minute as the battle stayed in midfield between two very evenly matched teams.

Joe Anyinsah showed his skill in the 36th minute when he composed himself before taking on 3 opposition players. As it looked to open up for him the challenge came in, and Garner tried to pick things up as he broke in to the box. Pool closed ranks and were able to clear, despite the claims from United's young striker that he'd been fouled. Disaster struck for United in the 39th minute as Westwood pushed a deflected Liddle shot behind for a corner, under intense pressure from Moore. The delivery was accurate, and Barker climbed above the defenders to angle his header beyond Westwood and in to the back of the net to level the scores. Barker put another header over from 14 yards out in the next attack, as the game opened up, with Hackney and Anyinsah always available as a Carlisle outlet.

Anyinsah it was who thumped a wicked cross over Budtz in the 44th minute, after Garner did the holding work to create some space, and this following a flowing move to turn defence in to attack. The first time cross from the wide man had the defence flat-footed, and Danny Graham was able to guide his header in to the gaping net, claiming his second of the match and reclaiming the lead for his hard-working side. Humphries screwed a wild shot wide as half time approached, and a stunned Pool side kept trying to probe as they came to terms with being behind yet again.

Half Time: Pool 1 - 2 United

It was tight stuff once more as the teams squared up against each other following the break, with United seeing more of the ball. Raven and Hackney were in support of the strikers in the 51st minute, allowing Anyinsah to move in to space, before he drilled a low shot across the face of goal. It came to nothing, but the number of red shirts trying to get forward was very encouraging stuff. Danny Graham put a header wide in the 53rd minute when Aranalde took command at the back, using Anyinsah as the willing runner. It was another incisive move as Carlisle used their pace on the break. Pool were trying to get it wide as often as possible themselves, and Humphries wasted a number of opportunities to make the telling cross as he ghosted behind the back line. It was becoming frustrating for the Pool faithful as they watched their lads struggle to make any kind of impact in the final third, and Greg Abbott looked visibly impressed as he watched his game plan unfold nicely on the field of play, as the gaps at the back were exploited with every chance of a break.

Ian Moore sent a timely warning that there was still work to do in the 65th minute when he thundered a snapshot towards the bottom corner, causing Westwood to scramble across his goal line. It was powerful, but it was also wide as it curled the wrong way as far as Hartlepool were concerned. Abbott threw some fresh legs in to the mix with 25 minutes left to go, trying to ensure that the tempo of the counter-attack would be maintained, and United continued to look comfortable as every man did his job. It was going to take something special, or a flukey goal to get the Pool back on level terms and it almost happened for them in the 76th minute when Boland flung a boot at a fizzed cross. He connected well, and a big deflection left Westwood stranded, and it was relief all round as the ball spun away to safety.

Pool were starting to press and Westwood produced a save of pure class in the 79th minute when he spread himself and somehow got a hand to a whistling Nelson volley. The home fans were ready to celebrate, but the big stopper had other ideas. Barker was guilty of a poor miss in the 81st minute when McCunnie did the donkey work on the wing before looping a cross towards the far post. Pool's top scorer would normally expect to hit the target, but he couldn't quite get enough on it and could only send it in to the crowd behind the goal. It was heartbreak for the Cumbrians in the 86th minute when a quick move down the left wing resulted in a teasing cross from Robson that curled in to the box. Substitute Mike Mackay, who had been on the pitch less than 60 seconds, was ready and waiting and he made no mistake as he put Hartlepool back on to level terms, making things very interesting indeed.

5 minutes of time added on added to the suspense of the closing stages, and the Pool substitutes were everywhere as they went in search of the winner, but it was the Cumbrians who were left with their head in their hands when Jeff Smith blazed a wonderful Gall cross over the bar from just 5 yards out, following some persistent work on the wing. It was the last chance of the evening, and the whistle blew on a pulsating 2-2 draw.