Pools extended their unbeaten run to twenty games with a 1-1 draw with Lincoln City - but they certainly didn't make it easy.
After falling behind to seventh minute goal from Paul Green, Danny Wilson's men were made to work very hard by The Imps and despite a strong second half, had to wait until the 91st minute to draw level - a Richie Barker penalty securing the point.
The first forty five minutes didn't really go to plan for Pools this evening as Lincoln City arrived full of energy and enthusiasm and were the brighter of the teams for the majority of the half.
And an early goal for the visitors left Pools with a tough task ahead; a good push forward through the middle by Lincoln saw the ball played through to Paul Green on the edge of the area and his low drive at goal deflected off the studs of a Pools defender and into the bottom left hand corner of Konstantopoulos' net.
Wilson's men did not let their heads drop after the goal but similarly it didn't give them a much-needed kick start as The Imps looked more likely finding the net once again in the first period.
Pools did get forward - with James Brown the main threat down the right and the youngster did well shortly after the goal when he created space for himself to whip in a teasing ball into the area but Eifion Williams saw his chance edge wide under pressure from the covering defender.
Andy Monkhouse tried his luck from distance on a couple of occasions and looked the biggest goal threat for Pools. The left winger blasted a powerful effort from around thirty-five yards but Imps keeper Alan Marriott reacted well to palm the effort wide of target.
Monkhouse tried again just minutes later but his drive was deflected off the head of a covering defender and over the bar.
Although the visitors tested Dimi on few occasions - the big keeper catching an Adie Moses header - they showed good pace on the break and left a slightly below-par Pools with work to do.
And, with the half time break arriving, Danny Wilson will have had strong words to lift his team for an improved second-half display.
The second half was brighter for Pools but the visitors had clearly set out their stall to hold onto the win and put in a solid defensive display - giving Wilson's men their toughest test in some time.
James Brown went close to equalising early on in the second period when he latched onto a mistake from the defender and found himself in space inside the box - but his shot from a tight angle scraped just wide of the far post.
Pools' improved performance lifted the near-7000 crowd and when Ritchie Humphreys stepped up to take a free kick from around 40 yards, the expectation was audible. The kick went over the bar but the crowd maintained their strong vocal support.
There were times when Pools threw everything forward and almost every blue and white shirt was involved in successive goal mouth scrambles. Richie Barker headed over from a Micky Barron ball into the box while the striker suffered the same fate when he got up to meet an Ali Gibb cross.
Gary Liddle went close when he blasted an effort from just inside the area but his shot was well-blocked by Nat Brown who bravely got his head in the path of the ball.
With Pools firmly on top, Lincoln went desperately close to sealing the win when they broke forward down the left before Jamie Forrester lifted the ball towards goal which looked set to be sailing in past Dimitrios Konstantopoulos only to bounce onto the crossbar and out of play.
Lee Bullock looked to have headed in the equaliser at the other end when he rose highest to nod home a Ritchie Humphreys' corner kick but, with the Pools players claiming it had crossed the line, the ball was cleared and the officials waved away any appeals.
When the Fourth Official held up the board announcing that there was to be four minutes of additional time, the home fans upped their noise a level, giving the players even more of a spur.
And, when a ball was played into the area from the left into a crowded area - the resulting melee saw the referee pointing to the penalty spot, much to the delight of the home fans. Whether it was for a foul on Michael Nelson or for a handball was unclear but the decision went Pools way.
Richie Barker stepped up confidently to take the spot-kick and, perhaps showing the complete turnaround in Pools' fortunes - Wilson's men missed numerous penalty kicks at the start of the season - but Barker showed no nerves as he stepped up to smash it home to make it 1-1.
The point extends Pools lead at the top of League Two to six points, with other teams playing tomorrow but Danny Wilson will be pleased once again with his side's resolve and the fact that it is now twenty games since they suffered defeat.
Next up is a trip to fellow in-form outfit Stockport County for what is sure to prove another tough test for Wilson and his side.
Att: 6903 (436 Lincoln City)
Pools: Konstantopoulos, Barron, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys, Brown, Sweeney (Bullock 42), Liddle, Monkhouse (Gibb 80), Barker, Eifion Williams (Foley)
Subs Not Used: Provett, Tinkler
Lincoln City: Marriott, Eaden, Moses, Brown, Green, Amoo, Frecklington (Mayo 88), Kerr, Hughes, N'Guessan, Forrester (Warlow 90).
Subs Not Used: Olejnik, King, Ryan
