Pools lost out 1-0 to Northampton Town in a scrappy game at The Vic this evening.

An 82nd minute goal from sub Giles Coke was enough to separate the sides in a game where celar-cut chances were few and far between.

There was a frantic start to the game here at The Vic as both sides burst out of the blocks and although the pace remained for much of the first half, there were few chances at half time as the windy conditions took hold.

Antony Sweeney looked bright for Pools on the right wing early on as he was involved in every good for Pools, causing problems with his movement for the visiting defence.

Alan Thompson was another in determined mood as he seemed on something of a mission to go out with a bang at the end of his loan period with Pools.

But for all Pools' movement, there was little to really threaten the Northampton rearguard, who formed a solid unit against the work of Barker and Porter and the ball spent a lot of time in the air as both sides cleared their lines.

One of Pools best early chances came courtesy of some good work by Joel Porter, who turned past his man on the left of the area before cutting inside and laying a square ball on for Graeme Lee. The defender managed to push the ball through a crowd for Richard Barker but his final ball was deflected wide for a corner kick.

A Thompson free kick from the left channel was deflected back out to Michael Nelson on the edge of the box and the big defender did well to take the ball down on his chest before executing an impressive overhead kick which rose over the defence but fell just nicely for Mark Bunn in the visiting goal.

After picking up possession on the edge of the area, Thompson took a couple of touches to work his way into space before firing a drive at goal but his effort edged over the bar.

At the other end, Jan Budtz was also relatively untested - a Poul Hubertz effort on the break rose high over the Rink End Stand.

Ryan Gilligan also tried his luck from distance but his effort was deflected just wide of Budtz's right hand post for a corner kick.

With neither sides creating that final touch the break the deadlock, the teams went in all square at the break and it seemed as if one goal would be enough to separate them come the final whistle.

The second period continued in much the same vain as the first as neither side looked set to create a clear opening.

Adebayo Akinfenwa powered forward for the visitors to blast a low effort at goal but the ball went just wide of Budt's goal while Richard Barker was mark Bunn collect his effort from close range after a good ball through from Thompson.

Ritchie Humphreys had Pools' best chance of the game on the hour mark when he pushed forward before firing in a fierce shot from twenty yards which scraped just wide of Bunn's left post.

A good ball from Joel Porter which whipped right across the front of goal only to evade the attentions of Barker and sub Tom Craddock but Craddock had a better chance to come.

A free kick whipped in from the right by Humphreys was headed out by Northampton Town but only as far as Tom Craddock on the edge of the box and his acrobatic overhead effort dipped just enough to cause Bunn problems and the keeper had to be on alert to tip over the bar.

And although the visitors seemed satisfied with a point when they replaced striker Akinfenwa with midfielder Giles Coke with fifteen minutes to go, the sub showed he had other ideas when he picked up on a stray Pools' pass to bomb forward and fire in a low drive from the edge of the area which crept under Budtz and into the bottom right corner of the net.

Joel Porter had a late chance to even things up for Pools but his thunderous strike from distance was just tipped by the keeper and edged wide of the left hand post as Wilson's men went down to a 1-0 defeat.

A disappointing evening for Pools at The Vic as they failed to build on recent good form to take something from this clash with Northampton Town.

Attendance: 3945 (209 away)

Pools: Budtz, Antwi (McCunnie 49), Nelson, Lee, Humphreys, Sweeney, Liddle, Boland (Foley 56), Thompson (Craddock 67), Barker, Porter
Subs Not Used: Elliott, Monkhouse

Northampton: Bunn, Little, Hughes, Gyepes, Crowe, Burnell, Gilligan, Jackman, Holt, Akinfenwa (Coke 77), Hubertz.
Subs Not Used: Dunn, Henderson, May, Dolman.