Hartlepool United 0 Huddersfield Town 1: Town triumph thanks to Pilkington’s strike

Lee Clark’s promotion chasers failed to make their superiority fully count in the first 45 minutes and were nearly punished.

Only winger Anthony Pilkington’s 10th league goal of the season after 12 minutes separated the sides. He fired home left-footed from 10 yards as Hartlepool waited in vain for a foul to be given.

Midfielder Scott Arfield shot weakly at Scott Flinders following another defensive mix-up before the home goalkeeper fisted full-back Stephen Jordan’s fierce effort clear a minute later.

Pilkington and fellow winger Gary Roberts were constant dangers behind busy lone striker Lee Novak and further goals seemed inevitable. he hosts’ response was mute and Terriers goalkeeper Ian Bennett did not make a save until the 43rd minute when he gathered Sam Collins’s tame header.

Normal service was resumed after the interval and Flinders leaped spectacularly to turn Lee Novak’s header for a corner.

Hartlepool finally enjoyed some pressure and nearly equalised just two minutes later when Bennett fumbled Evan Horwood’s free-kick around a post.

Andy Monkhouse and Gary Liddle, twice, went close as Town’s first-half fluency deserted them.

A flurry of late bookings resulted in a nervy six minutes of stoppage time before the visitors could head home happy.

Hartlepool United: Flinders, Haslam, Collins, Hartley, Horwood; McSweeney, Murray (Larkin 68), Liddle, Sweeney; Donaldson (Brown 77), Monkhouse. Unused substitutes: Rafferty, Humphreys, Gamble, Boyd, Yantorno.

Huddersfield Town: Bennett, Peltier, Kay, Clark P, Jordan; Pilkington, Arfield, Gudjonsson, Kilbane, Roberts; Novak (Afobe 90). Unused substitutes: Smithies, Atkinson, McCombe, Hunt, Rhodes, Lee.

Referee: David Coote (Notts).