00:00The Hartlepool Mail's Robbie Stelling here, just with a few reflections after Pools ended a miserable run of six matches without a win by beating rivals Gateshead 1-0 on Tuesday night.
00:10Gateshead, of course, a notoriously unhappy hunting ground for Pools.
00:14They've conceded 11 goals in their last two visits to the Gateshead International Stadium.
00:18They hadn't won at Gateshead since 1954.
00:22A lot of fans will, of course, have bad memories, particularly of that 7-1 defeat under Kevin Phillips.
00:26I remember it well, it was my second game covering Pools for the Hartlepool Mail.
00:32Last year's affair was slightly closer, albeit Pools were always second best when Gateshead won 4-3 on Boxing Day.
00:41However, on Tuesday night, Pools were really good value, I felt, for the win.
00:44And it was an important win, having started the season so well, winning three and drawing one of their first four matches.
00:49That winless run meant that they were in danger of losing some of the momentum that Simon Grayson and his side had worked so hard to build up at the beginning of the campaign.
00:58And, of course, the race for the playoffs, there's a long way to go this season.
01:01We're only 11 games into the new National League campaign.
01:05But Pools had fallen out of the top seven and were beginning to falter.
01:09I think it's really important to maintain momentum and certainly keep in touch with the top seven.
01:14I imagine Simon Grayson and his side will just want to make sure they're within striking distance of those playoff places come crunch time next year.
01:23Simon Grayson himself said, inevitably, it's going to take time for his Pools side to gel, given the remarkably high turnover of players.
01:31There's 14 new signings this summer, following the arrivals of Verdane, Oliver and Nathan Ferguson, who both featured as late substitutes at the Gateshead International Stadium.
01:42A number of familiar faces in the Gateshead line-up, not least David Ferguson, who was facing off against Pools for the first time since his departure over the summer.
01:50He made 236 appearances at Victoria Park and had a nice ovation when he was substituted towards the end.
01:56And another interesting story, Joe Grayson, Simon Grayson's son, lined up against his dad's side in the heart of the Heed back line.
02:04Had a pretty good game as well, actually, but you'd have to say Pools deserved the three points.
02:09They weren't absolutely watertight at the back.
02:12Harvey Cartwright had to make a really sharp save to deny Kane Adom late on, as he kept a remarkable seventh clean sheet in 11 matches.
02:20Pools lined up with a flat back four for the second game in a row.
02:23They've tended to prefer that back three.
02:25Alex Reid was a little bit isolated at times, but they certainly created a lot more chances.
02:30Goalkeeper Tien and Brooks made saves to deny Reid, Luke Charman, Matty Daly.
02:35Alex Reid had an effort cleared off the line and Cameron John hit the crossbar as well,
02:40just when it was starting to feel like it perhaps wasn't going to be Pools' night.
02:44And their barren run in front of goal was going to go on.
02:48Bessette Topolaj popped up with his first Pools goal and his first goal in any form since Boxing Day.
02:52Brooks, for all his heroics, must have been disappointed with his role in that one, but a much needed win for Pools.
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