Hartlepool United 1, Wycombe Wanderers 3.

WANDERERS survived a missed penalty before going on to record a routine victory against bottom of the table Hartlepool.

The leaders were in front courtesy of a picture book header from Paris Cowan-Hall, who netted for the second game in succession, when Neil Austin blazed his spot kick hopelessly off target.

It was a huge let-off for Blues as had it gone in the end result against a game but low-on-confidence Pools could have been a lot different.

The hosts went at their high flying visitors from the off before being hit by the sucker punch of Cowan-Hall’s fine header, as he made the most of a great cross from skipper Paul Hayes.

It was deep into the second half until things were wrapped up as Matt Bloomfield and Alfie Mawson – recalled to the side after injury – both scored their first goals of the season for Wanderers.

There was still time enough for Marlon Harewood to blast home a consolation goal for Hartlepool, who will feel this scoreline failed to match the overall pattern of the game.

Pools came flying out the traps as Matt Ingram had to punch away a corner that threatened to swirl straight into his net, Matteo Lanzoni appealed in vain for a penalty after claiming to have been held back attacking another set piece, and Brad Walker’s fierce shot was unwittingly blocked by Josh Scowen’s face.

Blues looked uncomfortable under the constant barrage of high balls lumped into the box and lived on their nerves more than once as they had to contend with a style of football Brian Clough, who cut his managerial teeth at Victoria Park, would no doubt have disapproved of.

The visitors gradually managed to drag themselves into the game as a Matt Bloomfield pass fed Cowan-Hall, whose blocked effort rebounded out to Aaron Pierre and the defender’s bobbling shot from way out was clutched by United keeper Scott Flinders.

Ingram was called upon again to fist away a dangerous delivery from Jordan Richards with Scott Fenwick looking odds-on to head home the opener, as Wanderers struggled to get into their usual attacking groove with Bloomfield and the recalled Alfie Mawson both scooping half chances off target from some distance out.

Jacobson’s low free kick parted the wall and brought a save low down from Flinders, but the Pools keeper was a beaten man shortly afterwards as Blues went in front.

Just as at Cheltenham last week Paul Hayes bought himself room on the right for a cross that was stood up into the middle, and Cowan-Hall leapt high above two defenders to send a header into the net and ensure the match was now following the form book.

But Wanderers gifted their hosts a chance to get back into the game as Jacobson made an unnecessary challenge on Harewood with the former West Ham striker heading away from goal, and a penalty was awarded.

And just like last week it was missed, but this time it was down to sheer incompetence on the part of the taker as Austin blasted it wastefully high and wide.

The needless error count started to crank up as Matthew Bates got himself into a tangle and gave away a corner, and Wanderers almost profited from it as Mawson’s header from the set piece cannoned off the post and Scowen’s shot on the follow-up was blocked.

Wanderers had been building up a head of steam just prior to the half time whistle being blown but it was Pools that fired the first warning of the second period as Blues struggled to clear their lines and Walker spooned the ball wildly over the bar from the edge of the area.

That came within three minutes of play getting back underway but didn’t prove a portent of what was to come, as the game instead started to match the conditions and atmosphere: dank, gloomy and without a lot going on.

In fairness that was down to Wanderers showing greater focus and defending with more diligence, but their chances at the other end were extremely limited and a Hayes header that was flicked a long way wide of goal from a fine Sido Jombati cross was all there was to write home about.

Pools made two changes to their personnel and an alteration to their formation as Sidney Schmeltz and Jonathan Franks came on for the largely ineffective Adam Campbell and Walker in a bid to get something out of the game.

Franks finally gave Ingram something to work on as the Wanderers keeper got down quickly to keep the substitute’s daisycutter out at his near post with a tidy save.

Then came what proved to be the start of a goal avalanche as Wanderers scored their second to make the game safe. Once more Hayes was the architect as he broke the offside trap from a delicate Jombati flick and pulled it back into the path of Bloomfield to gleefully smash home.

Two minutes later Blues made doubly sure of the points as a familiar source of goals, a Jacobson corner, provided one for a hitherto untapped source as Mawson crashed home a header for his first strike for the club.

Suddenly it started raining goals as Harewood pulled a goal back for the hosts with five minutes left, rifling home a fierce shot in off the crossbar as he pounced on a loose ball.

Wanderers: Ingram, Jombati, Pierre, Mawson, Jacobson, Bloomfield, Scowen, Murphy, Cowan-Hall (sub Onyedinma), Hayes (sub Kretzschmar), Craig (sub McClure). Substitutes not used: Richardson, Fletcher, Lewis, Rowe.

Attendance: 3,053 (163 from Wycombe)