Hartlepool eased their own relegation worries with two late goals and left Hereford 11 points adrift of safety.

Hartlepool's Joel Porter opened the scoring with an angled shot from the right, only for Febian Brandy to equalise with a low shot from 12 yards.

Porter restored the lead from the penalty spot but Marc Pugh bundled the ball home to make it 2-2.

Sam Collins nodded in Andy Monkhouse's corner and an Antony Sweeney header a minute later secured Hartlepool's win.

Hereford manager Graham Turner told BBC Hereford and Worcester:

"Any team that has got to use six keepers in a season is going to have problems.

"But we have been short of that little bit of a killer instinct both defensively or in finishing sides off.

"We had the opportunity to have made it 3-2 in the game but it didn't materialise for us."

Hartlepool: Budtz, Liddle, Collins, Nelson, Humphreys (Skarz 62), Jones (Nardiello 63), Clark, Sweeney, Monkhouse, Parker (Robson 82), Porter.

Subs Not Used: Cook, Mackay.

Booked: Nelson.

Goals: Porter 9, 14 pen, Collins 78, Sweeney 81.

Hereford: Veiga, Jackson (Williams 82), Rose, Broadhurst, Taylor, Myrie-Williams, Diagouraga, Smith (O'Leary 86), Pugh, Brandy, Guinan.

Subs Not Used: Gwynne, Johnson, Jones.

Goals: Brandy 11, Pugh 28.

Att: 3,579

Ref: Clive Oliver (Northumberland).

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