Accrington 3 Hartlepool United 1

IT WAS at Accrington Stanley where Hartlepool United emerged from lower league under-performers to promotion contenders. But that was in 2006. It’s a different story in 2014.

Floundering in League Two, victory here under Danny Wilson kickstarted their season and it was another 22 games before they tasted defeat again as they raced out of the division and into League One.

There’s every chance they will leave the division this season; not out of the top end, but the bottom.

Pools are in the bottom two. It doesn’t get much lower than losing 3-1 at Accrington in front of a 947 crowd – the lowest they have played in front of since the 1986-87 season.

The promise showed under Sam Collins in his spell as caretaker boss wasn’t there last night as they shipped three goals.

Collins was angry at the nature of the goals conceded, as individual mistakes proved costly.

Pools don’t keep clean sheets, but they don’t score many goals too.

He fumed: “We worked hard to get back to 1-1 and gave one away before halftime from a set-piece – we are left chasing the game.

“The three goals we conceded aren’t good enough – we aren’t giving ourselves a chance.

“We train every day, train well and I fancy us come the game. But then we don’t do it – is it a mental thing?

“We prepare the players as best we can, we give them videos to watch – set-pieces that Accrington do. We talk about it in the dressing room, who we pick up and mark at set-pieces. And then we go and concede from a set-piece again.

“It’s crazy to concede like that.

“We worked hard to get back to 1-1. We can test goalkeepers more, we can cross the ball better. But it’s not just tonight, it’s got to be better all round.’’

He added: “We have to do the basics well, be hard to beat, defend well and take chances when they come along.

“We need leaders, we come here and you have to forget about the dressing room and the stands and surroundings. The grass is the same, it’s about having mental toughness. Win your one v one battles and win football matches from it.’’

Pools have only won three games this season. Many more displays like this and it will be a long time before they win another three.

Michael Duckworth got forward early to fire just wide with a left-foot shot from 20 yards and Lewis Hawkins created a couple of openings on the right.

But they conceded on 19 minutes. Shay McCartan got the ball on the left side and ran at the defence, skipping past three challenges far too easily before finishing confidently high into the net.

From a Stanley perspective it was a fine individual effort. From a Pools point of view serious questions need to be asked.

Delivery into the area wasn’t good from Pools, too often failing to trouble.

But they levelled from a dead ball, Ryan Brobbel’s delivery flicked on by Matthew Bates to head in his first goal for the club.

After being given a lifeline, it was criminal to throw it away in injury time.

From a corner floated into the area, centre-half Rob Atkinson was allowed to plant a free header into the net.

Just like under Wilson in 2006, Pools trailed at the break. Wilson tore a strip off his players that day and they responded with two late goals to win.

Collins blasted his players too in the same dilapidated dressing room. But this time there was no response. There was no Eifion Williams or Ritchie Humphreys to bail them out.

Off went Charlie Wyke, suffering from illness. In his absence, defender Neil Austin was Pools’ leading scorer with two penalties.

If Pools have problems keeping them out at one end, they certainly can’t put anything away at the other.

He was replaced by Matt Crooks, signed yesterday on loan from Huddersfield. He was big and willing, but he’s no centre forward.

One burst took him into the area, his shot was charged down and Brobbel somehow lost his footing when presented with a tap in.

Pools did have their share of possession but never really looked like scoring.

And when McCartan knocked in from close range to leave Pools 3-1 down it was game over.