Pools hold Grecians: Match Review

Hartlepool secured their League One survival - barring a possible points deduction - with a 1-1 draw against Exeter, who face a nervous last game of the season.

The Grecians are only outside the drop zone on goal difference and host promotion hopefuls Huddersfield next week.

Defensively strong, the visitors were a tough nut to crack for Pools and had a couple of early chances to take the lead.

Home goalkeeper Scott Flinders saved smartly from Richard Logan before Ryan Harley's free-kick brushed the side-netting from 20 yards.

Exeter then went ahead after 37 minutes. From a needlessly conceded corner, Taylor's setpiece was headed in by the towering Matt Taylor.

Pools hit a post early in the second half as Leon McSweeney scrambled in between the visiting defenders.

But the Taylor-Harley combination should have led to a second goal, this time the scorer diving in to head inches wide from close range.

A double substitution galvanised Pools and one of the replacements, Adam Boyd, created the 80th-minute leveller.

His cross from the right caused havoc in the six-yard area and substitute Denis Behan bundled in from close range.

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