Former Barnsley star Williams curled in a 20-yarder with his weaker right foot after a surging solo run on 66 minutes to register his third goal in four games.

It earned the Terriers, who trailed at the break to a header from Gary Liddle, a fifth straight win and third place in the table.

But Clark was in no mood to celebrate and he called on Williams to keep improving or face the axe. "It was a terrific goal – I've seen Robbie use his right foot before but I've never seen the ball go where he wants it to go before!

"Everybody knows about Robbie's attributes as an attacking full-back. But I've laid the gauntlet down to him. He needs to keep improving the defensive side of his game."

Hartlepool took the lead on 18 minutes when Liddle got in front of Town's Antony Kay to head in Neil Austin's free-kick given for handball against Nat Clarke.

The visitors, unbeaten in five, dominated the first 35 minutes but Town moved up a gear and should have won by more.

Town levelled on 56 minutes when livewire Anthony Pilkington's 30-yard free-kick rattled the post and bounced in off Hartlepool defender Peter Hartley.

Pilkington hit the bar with another long-range free-kick and Theo Robinson missed an open goal after Jordan Rhodes set him up late on.

Huddersfield Town: Smithies; Peltier, P Clarke, N Clarke, Williams; Pilkington, Kay, Collins, Roberts; Rhodes, Novak (Robinson 77). Unused substitutes: Glennon, Goodwin, Ainsworth, Berrett, Butler, T Clarke.

Hartlepool United: Flinders; Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley; Monkhouse, Jones, Humphreys, Larkin (L McSweeney 64); Brown, Boyd (Behan 64). Unused substitutes: A McSweeney, Clark, Fredriksen, Cook, Greulich.

Referee: P Tierney (Wigan).

Man of the match: Anthony Pilkington.

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