Paul Hartley ‘deflated’ after Hartlepool denied first win by Colchester

Hartlepool manager Paul Hartley admitted he felt “deflated” after his side conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 1-1 at Colchester.

It looked as though Pools would be heading for their first league win of the season after Wes McDonald swept home a 29th-minute opener from close range after Reghan Tumilty had escaped the home defence and delivered into his path.

But Colchester rescued a point in the fourth minute of stoppage time when debutant Beryly Lubala headed in fellow substitute Cameron Coxe’s deep cross.

Hartley said: “I’m a little bit disappointed and deflated after that.

“We thought we could see the game out and it’s about managing the game. You’ve got to play right to the final whistle and we certainly didn’t do that.

“We allowed the ball to come in and we didn’t pick up at the back post. You’ve got to stop the cross coming in and then you’ve got to pick up people when it comes into the box.

“We could have had the game sewn up, if we’d been a bit more clinical.

“I thought we were good in the first half and, even in the second half, we weathered the storm without playing brilliant.

“We came here with one striker and then we had no strikers on the pitch towards the latter part of the game.

“The effort from the lads was there to see and their attitude was brilliant – it was just fine lines and fine margins in football.”

Hartlepool were the better side in the first half, with Mohamed Sylla, Tom Crawford and Jack Hamilton all going close for the visitors.

But Colchester improved after the break with their substitutes making an impact, not least Lubala.

Colchester assistant head coach Joe Dunne said: “I thought we deserved something from the game for sure, with the amount of chances we created and what we did in the second half.

“But it took the second half to get us going and we were a bit lacklustre in the first half.

“We’re delighted to have saved some points of course but, overall, it’s only a draw.

“We were a bit critical of our first half although, saying that, the goal was their only opportunity that was on target.

“We’re kind of in that mode at the moment where teams aren’t making too many chances and they’re making the most of it.

“We had to play quicker in the second half and be more positive and I thought we did that in the second half.

“It doesn’t matter who it’s against, you can’t put that kind of first-half performance in and we were disappointed with our first half but we certainly made up for it in the second half.”