Hartlepool remain in the relegation places despite fighting back for a point against Mansfield
Substitute Josh Umerah scored twice, including an 89th-minute equaliser, as struggling Hartlepool United fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Mansfield Town.
Second-half goals from George Lapslie and Riley Harbottle had looked to put Mansfield on course for victory but Umerah reduced the deficit a minute after coming on in the 61st minute.
The 25-year-old striker then leveled with a minute to go for his fifth goal of the season.
However, Umerah’s heroics still could not prevent Pools from equalizing a club record – set in 2012 – of 20 EFL contests without a win.
Earlier, visiting keeper Ben Killip produced smart saves to deny Stephen McLaughlin twice and Lucas Akins.
The latter also skied over from six yards and Stephen Quinn had a goal chalked off for the hosts following a contentious offside flag.
Hartlepool did threaten in first-half stoppage time, though, when a 30-yard Euan Murray shot was pushed on to a post by Christy Pym.
But it was Mansfield who would make the breakthrough six minutes into the second half, when Lapslie side-footed in from seven yards following Kellan Gordon’s cross from the right.
Harbottle then doubled the advantage just before the hour, stabbing in his third goal of the season from four yards after a scramble in the box.
Town were in charge but, three minutes later, the Stags centre-back blotted his copybook with a woeful backpass that was intercepted by Umerah, who rounded Pym and found the net from a narrow angle.
With time ticking down, Umerah then showed pace and power to break through the right channel and prod the ball past an advancing Pym to salvage a point for Hartlepool.
Match report supplied by PA Media.
line ups
Mansfield
formation 3-5-1-1
1pym
4Hewitt12Hawkins6Harbottle
2Gordon8thO Clarke10Maris16quinn3McLaughlin
32lapslie
7Akins
- 1pym
- 4Hewitt
- 12Hawkins
- 6HarbottleSubstituted forperchesat 90+1′minutes
- 2GordonSubstituted forBoweryat 83′minutes
- 8thO Clarke
- 10MarisBooked at 38minsSubstituted forLawat 90′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 16quinnSubstituted forWallaceat 86′minutes
- 3McLaughlin
- 32lapslieSubstituted forSwanat 83′minutes
- 7Akins
substitutes
- 9Bowery
- 13Flinders
- 14perches
- 15Law
- 17Wallace
- 26Swan
- 35O’Toole
Hartlepool
formation 3-5-2
1Killip
5murray24Lacey23Menayese
26tumilty22Crawford20Sylla6shelton3Ferguson
18Ndjoli11MC Donald
- 1Killip
- 5murray
- 24Lacey
- 23Menayese
- 26tumiltySubstituted forPatersonat 45′minutes
- 22Crawford
- 20SyllaSubstituted forOduorat 89′minutes
- 6sheltonSubstituted forUmerahat 61′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 3Ferguson
- 18NdjoliSubstituted forcookingat 45′minutes
- 11MC DonaldSubstituted forHamiltonat 75′minutes
substitutes
- 9Umerah
- 10cooking
- 12Grey
- 14Paterson
- 19Hamilton
- 21letheren
- 27Oduor
Referee: Craig Hicks
Attendance: 6,891
live text
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Match ends, Mansfield Town 2, Hartlepool United 2.
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Second half ends, Mansfield Town 2, Hartlepool United 2.
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Jason Law (Mansfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Jason Law (Mansfield Town).
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Tom Crawford (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Oliver Hawkins (Mansfield Town).
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Tom Crawford (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Ollie Clarke (Mansfield Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jason Law.
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Attempt blocked. Ollie Clarke (Mansfield Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Substitution, Mansfield Town. James Perch replaces Riley Harbottle.
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Substitution, Mansfield Town. Jason Law replaces George Maris.
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Josh Umerah (Hartlepool United) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.
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Goal! Mansfield Town 2, Hartlepool United 2. Josh Umerah (Hartlepool United) left footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alex Lacey.
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Substitution, Hartlepool United. Clarke Oduor replaces Mohamad Sylla.
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Oliver Hawkins (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Josh Umerah (Hartlepool United).
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Substitution, Mansfield Town. Kieran Wallace replaces Stephen Quinn.
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Lucas Akins (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Alex Lacey (Hartlepool United).
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Substitution, Mansfield Town. Jordan Bowery replaces Kellan Gordon.