Hartlepool FC

A 1-1 draw at home to Wolviston yesterday meant that Pool's lengthy run of home defeats finally came to an end, and the boss felt that the point was worthy of the game.

"The jinx of losing at home is finally over," he gleefully told us tonight.

"It was a very good game of football. The first half we passed the ball very well in a 4-5-1 formation against their 4-3-3 but we didn't really exploit the width. 

"It was a great finish from Iain (Davies to open the socring) but then Jack Nixon was only a hairs length from making it two. Kyle McDermott was one-on-one but he went for the top corner and it blazed wide."

He went on, "If we were 3-0 up in the first 35 minutes it would have been justified but to be fair they dominated in the second half. Mark Bell made two world class saves.

"Their equaliser was quite fortunate as Krissy (Summers) slipped. 

"We had a few breakaways in the second half but we were getting tackled (so nothing materialised)."

Lax opted for a back four of Summers, Dawson, Rowbotham and Wood, from right to left, and he hailed the resolute defending the quintet demonstrated. "They were outstanding.

"Nothing got past Danny Dawson - he was a man mountain. But even as a team we fought for every ball and battled. 

Recent heavy defeats before persuaded Lax to dip into the transfer market but he has been more impressed with the team's mentality. 

"If we had played with that mentality in the previous games against Bolden and Cleator, to name but a few, we would have won. 

"We would have caved in a few weeks ago."

And now Lax has insisted that the win is the foundation his side can build on, saying: "It's a foundation - a point was justified.

"We counteracted each other with our formations but we worked hard off the ball. 

"I'm quite pleased that we have stopped conceding goals. It's only two games but before we letting in 4 or 5.

"The new signings have given everyone a lift and to have a physical presence in the air as well in Danny Dawson. 

"We've been playing well and we have started not to push too far up: we are now five yards deeper so we can't get caught out with the long ball," he explained.

"As we've seen in this league it is a league where if you don't compete you don't get anything. If we keep this strong group of lads, we can quietly pick points and slowly climb the table."

Return to the site tomorrow where we will hear Lax's thoughts on the striker position.