Hartlepool manager Neale Cooper spoke to BBC Radio Tees and his club's official website after his side's 2-1 League One defeat at home to Carlisle, Cooper frustrated at the manner in which 'Pools lost the game:
"It was very frustrating today, to absolutely dominate a game for 70 minutes and play some of the best football I think we have played at all since I came back in December-time. But, that is football you know, we could have been 3-0 or 4-0 up easily with the chances we created, but a bit of indiscipline, chasing the game, six players up the park, we lose possession, they counter-attack and we then within minutes of dominating a match we get a player sent off, a free-kick at the edge of the box and the whole game changes.
"I spoke to James Poole last week and said that I didn't know what I was going to get from him and that he had to do better. Maybe he was surprised at getting another opportunity, some supporters were hoping this week that I wouldn't play James yet today I thought he played really well. I thought big Stevie Howard and him linked up a lot better, but I thought all over the park we played some really good stuff. But, then that 20 minutes at the end where the game just changes dramatically.
"The fans get frustrated and a bit hoarse but up until that point I swear it is very hard to go into the changing room and over-criticise. I can criticise about them all charging on for their first goal and then for the sending-off. But, as a group and staff we said it was some of the best football we have played, the movement was good and it was played at a really high tempo.
"To do that it is very hard to keep it up for 90 minutes so you really want the game dead and buried, and we had chances to make the game finished easily, easily finished, like last season when we beat them 4-0 here. But, it wasn't to be and you will always have a wee spell in the game when the opposition will come on top and they did and they got a lift from the sending-off and from their equaliser when they should never have been it.
"Then we lost Peter Hartley through injury who is in agony and from one of their breaks he kept their players onside by lying on the pitch, then Neil Austin getting sent off, so it is all change. There is not a lot more I can say, I am just totally frustrated myself and I am sure the supporters are in us not winning the match or getting something from the game at the end. But, a lot of the football I must admit was the best I have seen for a while."
"There was a foul on Stevie Howard before their first goal and he doesn't get enough free-kicks for him, but for our goal the rule is to play to the advantage so that is why for the benefit of us when Stevie was fouled that Pooley ran onto it and bang, goal. Then regarding their goal we have attacked and Stevie I feel, without wanting sympathy, it looks a foul. Then from that non-decision they have broken up the other end of the park and scored.
"But, I am not making excuses, to win games you have to kill off teams and you have to take your chances, and we created numerous chances. There was a lot of good stuff but I understand the frustration of the fans because at the end of the day we have come off with zip, no points, and it is very hard to take today with a mad few minutes where the whole game changes, that is the annoying thing today but that is football.
"It was a phenomenal achievement by Neil Austin last year to play every minute and every second of every game the club played in but this year has been a bit frustrating for him. Today getting sent off for a second yellow, he will obviously be upset about that as well and that made it hard for us because they were coming at us with the lift they had got. Then Matty Robson got their winner, he has hit it well and he is a good player.
"Craig Lynch only came in and trained with us on Thursday, I have said that I feel we are short of bodies and he is the type of boy that can come on and change a game. I thought he showed some good touches when he came on, but he is a good footballer, I know that. But, he had only just met the lads and the pace of the game now in this league is frightening coming from reserve football. But, he will have a full week with us training and you never know what I will do next week.
"We have now got two very hard games away at Bournemouth and away at Preston. But, if we play like we did the majority of times today and cut out the cavalry charges, everybody wanted to get forward, you are 1-0 up, someone on the pitch has got to say that we can't all go charging forward incase this does break down. Unfortunately today it did break down and they have counter-attacked us and the game has totally changed from that one counter-attack. So, a lot of good stuff played today but nothing to show from it."