This is The North East | Sport | Football

HEADING back home from South Wales, Eifion Williams with a big goal to his name, Jon Daly having made a big impact and a contentious decision going against them, Hartlepool United have been there before.

A trip to Swansea in League One may not have had the same impact as a day out in Cardiff and, almost ten months after their play-off final despair, things haven't gone as planned.

But salvaging a point on Saturday at the Liberty Stadium was fully merited, thanks to a second half performance that displayed shades of the Pool of last season.

On Saturday they were quick on the attack, pressing the opposition on the back foot for long periods with some neat and tidy passing, all that was missing was Adam Boyd and Joel Porter.

And they might not be too far away from a game now.

But this point and performance will count for nothing if Pool don't see off Blackpool on Saturday at Victoria Park.

Pool are today sixth bottom, four points off the drop zone, with important games to follow against two of the side's below.

For all the celebration that Williams' injury-time drive brought, Pool have still not won a game since December 10 and taken only three points from 24.

They've scored just five times in that period and Williams has four of them.

The Welshman memorably put Pool level in the play-off final and, while Daly may not have scored this time out, he did everything but.

For the second game in a row, the big striker did what was asked, winning plenty of headers and taking his share of bumps and bruises.

And his willingness to put his head and body in the way allowed Jon-Paul Pittman to use his pace to great affect and drag the home defence all over the park.

Daly, as he readily admits, isn't a 25 goal a season man.

But playing in this manner, there's every chance he can create just as many for others.

"It probably felt a bit like a win that one, scoring so late at the end,'' he admitted. "It would have been a bit of an injustice if we hadn't scored or gone home with nothing.

"We created a lot of chances and they didn't really hurt us. They had one or two shots from distance, but they never cut us open.

"Even their goal was a very sloppy one. Dimi knows he should take the ball in that situation, but we got one back and got what we deserved.

"We've made this journey home before - last season in the final, we all know what happened there. Again we felt hard done by that day, there was a bit of an injustice in the score, but these things happen in football.

"It's a long trip, going back home losing was a terrible thought.

"It's great to come away with a point against a team flying high. Three would have been nice, but we will take one.''

He added: "Next weekend is a massive game for us, if we can beat Blackpool it will be three unbeaten. The play-offs aren't out of it yet, we are still only eight points or so away from it, so it's achievable.

"So the players know what we can do and what our aim should be. We haven't had a run this season, not a decent one which will get us right up there - four or five wins in a row.

"If we can got that going, why can't we push one?"

To be fair to Daly, Pool are only nine points off the top seven, that's how tight the division is.

But there has been times when it's been hard to see where their next win is coming from, Saturday excepted of course.

Falling a goal down, perhaps the only talking point within the impressive Liberty Stadium was how many more The Swans would get. But this Pool wasn't for turning.

Dimi Konstantopoulos came for a deep cross, but dropped it under pressure from Afe Akinfenwe.

Little Leon Britton took the loose ball and scored from six yards.

Konstantopoulos claimed he was impeded as he jumped, but referee Lee Probert was having none of it.

Pittman had already posed some problems with his driving pace and he certainly has an unpredictability about him.

In the first half, with acres of space to drive into after taking a Gavin Strachan pass, Pittman tried a pitiful shot from distance.

Yet, in the second half, when the ball landed at his feet at a tight angle, he instinctively drilled a shot against the underside of the bar that beat Willy Gueret all ends up.

The loan signing then charged through the defence and was tripped up five yards from the penalty area. Strachan's free-kick would have nestled in the top corner if it wasn't for Gueret.

Next time he was brought down in the corner, a Ritchie Humphreys free-kick flew across the face of goal after being flicked on by Williams.

Swansea tried to give themselves a lift by introducing Lee Trundle, but he wasn't getting anything from Micky Nelson and Gerard Nash.

The pair have only played together twice, but their understanding and partnership has flourished.

With Pool heading for defeat, Humphreys long throw was turned on by Nelson and Pittman laid it off for Williams to crash home.

"You could see what it meant to everyone at the end, scoring like that,'' added Daly.

"We've set a standard now and we have to match it. We had, what, 150 or so fans here and you could see what it meant to every single one of them at the end.

"They deserved it, because it's a long way to travel for them.''

At home, Victoria Park hasn't been a happy place this season.

If they can match these second half standards, perhaps smiles will be back on the agenda in five days time.