A cool, rainy afternoon greeted the Rovers at Victoria Park, Hartlepool where they would face the promoted club in their first away outing. The Rovers turned out an unchanged team for the third successive match, theonly change being on the bench where Paul Green came in, Ben Smith dropping out. The home team lost their first League game at Luton but won in midweek at Scunthorpe in the Carling League Cup so will certainly be up for this afternoon's game. The Rovers defended the end where their supporters were housed  in the first half.

The Rovers set the ball rolling at the appointed time. Th early minutes were spent by both teams sizing up the opposition. Then on six minutes, a throw in to Hartlepool on their right near the corner flag was back headd into the middle where Robson, under challenge, skied his effort well over the bar. Jan Budtz, in the Hartlepool goal, got his first touch of the ball when he held a header from Woods following a free kick to the Rovers on their left. Hartlepool were enjoying the better of things at this stage but not troubling Sullivan in the Rovers goal. The referee started dishing yellow cards out in the 13 th minute when he booked Wilson  and followed his four minute later by booking Robson, thus evening the score. The score had gone up to 2-2 on yellow cards before the half hour yet the play had hardly warranted one let alone four. The only real effort on either goal came after 27 minutes when Robson got to the edge of the Rovers area but his weak shot was easily handled by Sullivan. The Rovers had now got into the game and past the half hour had gained a series of corners but nothing came of them. As time ran down to the break the home team pushd on, winning a couple of corners in succession. The second one was pulled back for the fullback, McCunnie, to cross to the far post where ANTWI headed in off the underside of the bar after 42 minutes. They took that lead into the half-time interval.   

The Rovers were now having the better of the game as the hour passed. Heffernan got in a shot from the angle of the penalty area but took a deflection that made it easy for Budtz to catch. On 71 minutes, they got their reward when Coppinger got to the right byline and hit a chest high cross to the middle for the onrushing HAYTER to put a diving header into the net. Continuing to press the Rovers had half a chance when Budtz and a defender got into a tangle before the ball was put out for a corner. The home team crept back into the game and then on 81 minutes, Wilson was deemed to have tripped Porter in the penalty area. BARKER took the kick and planted the ball past Sullivan to give the home team the lead again. The Rovers hit back and two minutes later Elliott brought Hayter down on the edge of the penalty area. Deeming this worthy of a yellow card, the referee found he had already booked him and consequently produced a red card. The match by now was getting feisty but the Rovers could not get an equaliser and retired losers by 2 goals to one.

Teams - Hartlepool United - Jan Budtz; Jamie McCunnie, Michael Nelson, Godwin Antwi, Robbie Elliott, James Brown, Gary Liddle, Willie Boland, Matty Robson, Ian Moore, Richard Barker.

Subs used - Hartlepool United - Porter for Moores 68 mins; Clark for Antwi 75 mins.

Subs not used - Ben Clark, Ritchie Humphreys, Joel Porter, Antony Sweeney, David Foley gk

Caution - Robson, Elliott,
Sent Off - Elliott 83 mins.

ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Gordon Greer, Adam Lockwood, Gareth Roberts; James Coppinger, Richie Wellens, Mark Wilson, Martin Woods; James Hayter, Paul Heffernan.

Subs used - Rovers - Mark McCammon for Heffernan 66 mins; McDaid for Wilson 86 mins; Lewis Guy for Gareth Roberts 86 mins.

Subs not used - Lewis Guy, Mark McCammon, Sean McDaid, Paul Green, Sam Hird.

Cautions - Rovers - Wilson, O'Connor, Heffernan, Gareth Roberts, Coppinger