Hartlepool 2-1 Notts County

Just when it looked like Notts had got themselves back on track after beating Portsmouth in midweek, a second away defeat in three games, against the bottom team in the league, takes us back to square one. The unbeaten run now a distant memory, Hartley and Poole did it for Hartlepool, the appropriately named players scoring to beat the Magpies 2-1 at Victoria Park. The defeat proved to be Keith Curle's last match in charge, as the Notts board relieved him of his duties on Sunday.

Neal Bishop’s three-game suspension meant Joss Labadie was handed his first start since September, as part of a 3-1-4-2 formation. Gary Liddle, a former Poolie, was handed the skipper's armband, and received a warm welcome from the home supporters after six years with the club.

As has happened much too frequently this season, Notts were sliced open within minutes and conceded early. Jamal Campbell-Ryce did well to win a corner in the 4th minute, but it was cleared and Hartlepool broke, a Jonathan Franks ball connecting with James Poole, who lifted it over the back-pedalling JCR and struck a great volley to silence the travelling Notts fans. First blood Hartlepool.

Notts came back all guns blazing, JCR's cross very nearly finding Judge while Labadie attempted a shot from distance, but Hartlepool followed with more chances of their own, Liddle having to be at his best to deny Charlie Wyke inside the six-yard box.

It wasn't until the half hour mark that Notts threatened again, Judge firing wide and Hughes fluffing a close-range shot, Francois Zoko the architect of both those chances.

Notts pressed on, however, and JCR very nearly equalised, but for a great block from Hartley, before the resulting corner connected with Arquin and, but for Neil Austin's block, would have been 1-1, the goalkeeper Scott Flinders beaten.

JCR, having a fantastic game on the wing, crossed for Zoko but was headed into the keeper's arms, while at the other end, Fabian Speiss bravely kept out Poole, saving at his feet.

Half-time saw Keith Curle replace Labadie with Julian Kelly, shifting Liddle into midfield, and only two minutes into the second half, Sheehan's high cross drew Flinders off his line, but Zoko once again headed straight at the keeper, a golden opportunity wasted.

Speiss, proving himself to be a fantastic deputy for the injured Bialkowski, superbly saved Franks's powerful effort, and Notts' efforts came to fruition when, on 52 minutes, JCR beat two players and curled a brilliant shot into the far corner, sending the 271 travelling Magpies into raptures. 1-1.

Invigorated, Notts pressed on, with Judge, Arquin and Sheehan all having chances, but sadly, their failure to convert this was punished, as that other weak spot in the team resurfaced - set-pieces. Evan Horwood's free kick wasn't properly defended and Peter Hartley met it with his head and trickled into the net. A poor goal to concede, 2-1 Hartlepool.

It could have been 3-1 from exactly the same situation but for the excellent Speiss, who is sure to give Bialkowski a hard job forcing his way back into the first team once fully fit, denying Horwood and Poole from another free-kick.

Notts kept attacking the Pools goal, but lacked the killer touch. Arquin fired a volley but was just off target, while Judge's header on 75 minutes was charged down by Sam Collins and smothered by Flinders.

In a bizarre substitution, the losing side saw Arquin, a forward, replaced by the midfielder Hamza Bencherif, much to the chagrin of the Notts fans. The young Romello Nangle also came on for Zoko, but the Hartlepool defence would no longer be breached, and so it ended 2-1 to the County Durham side. They stay bottom, eight points from safety, while Notts remain tenth on goal difference, level on points with MK Dons, Crewe and Leyton Orient, and looking for a new manager after parting company with Keith Curle.