Hartlepool United 2 Swindon Town 0

Last updated : 29 November 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Hartlepool survived Swindon's second half barrage to stretch their unbeaten home league run to 27 games, with a closely fought 2-0 victory.

The home team shaded the first half, but failed to take real advantage of the wind at their backs.

In the second, Swindon made a far better job of it in all but their finishing, wasting chance after chance as they penned Hartlepool back into their own half.

Both teams found it hard to cope with the strong wind blowing down the pitch, but it helped Hartlepool a little as they took the lead on 16 minutes.

A long clearance from the back bounced high into the Swindon area and Aussie striker Joel Porter's pace took him past Rhys Evans, the Swindon keeper's clumsy challenge brought him down.

Evans escaped with a booking, but he was punished when Gavin Strachan rolled his penalty into the bottom corner.

As Hartlepool failed to take full advantage of the wind, Swindon were always a danger on the break and on the half-hour Tommy Mooney hit the bar with a curling free-kick, though an offside flag was raised at the time.

After the break it was all Swindon as they used the wind to help keep them in Hartlepool territory, but their finishing was way off the mark and Steve Robinson and Andy Gurney twice missed chances with the goal gaping in front of them.

They were punished five minutes from the end when Hartlepool hit them with a classic breakaway, Eifion Williams providing the perfect pass for teenage sub Jack Wilkinson to race away and chip the ball into the net over Evans – the sort of cool finishing Swindon were desperate for earlier.

"That was probably our best performance of the season, when you take the weather and the strength of the opposition into account," said Hartlepool boss Neale Cooper.

"We had to survive a right old battering for a spell in the second half, but we defended well and took our second goal even better." Swindon boss Andy King said: "We were awful. We should have won the ga,me, but we've got nothing from it because of indiscipline and inconsistency. It's just not good enough."