The Bantams, who lost in midweek at Colchester, were good value for a 3-1 victory at Pools to earn a first away win of the campaign.

With the scores level, Bradford striker Andy Cook scored his side’s second in the 65th minute before capping the win with a fine stoppage-time strike.

Before that Bradford had taken a sixth-minute lead through Scott Banks’s low finish only for David Ferguson to head Hartlepool level 11 minutes later.In between Ferguson’s equaliser and Cook’s first there were very few chances but Bradford were rarely threatened.

And Hughes said: “We were excellent, we got our noses in front, probably didn’t control it enough. Second half we were excellent, the players really understood what was required and stood up to the physicality of it.

“It was a good introduction of Kian Harrett (who set up Cook’s first), and he made a big impact.

“Away from home, at times we were guilty of playing like the home side, and that shows; we dominated.

"But we wanted to see if they could hurt us. They didn’t really have any momentum to our play, or sustained pressure, we saw the game out comfortably.

Bradford City manager Mark Hughes watched his side pick up their first points away from home as they won 3-1 at Hartlepool. Picture: Tim Markland/PA Wire.

“We have to have that threat and mix things up. The guys were feeling the effects of two games in a week, given the travelling around, but to have the options on the bench we had, adding that freshness, the standards didn’t drop.”

Hartlepool United: Killip; Sterry, Menayese, Lacey, Ferguson; Hastie, Featherstone, Cooke, Sylla (Hamilton 72), McDonald (Grey 84); Umerah. Unused substitutes: Letheren, Tumiliyu, Paterson, Niang, Shelton.

Bradford City: Lewis; Halliday, Platt, Crichlow, Ridehalgh; Gilliead (Songo’o 88), Smallwood; Banks (Harratt 64), Chapman, Angol (Young 88); Cook. Unused substitutes: Doyle, Foulds, East, Oliver.

Referee: S Oldham (Lancashire).

Mark Hughes happy as Bradford City end long week on a high at Hartlepool United