‘They never really hurt us’: Hartlepool United boss Keith Curle’s verdict on Doncaster Rovers win

Pools have the worst defensive record in League Two having conceded 52 goals this term, eight more than any other side in the division.

But they kept hosts Doncaster at bay to earn their seventh clean sheet of the season – three more than their opponents have kept – and won the game thanks to defender Dan Dodds’ late goal.

“We knew we were playing a very good team that can dominate possession but we had a solidity and they never really hurt us,” said Kurle, whose side has taken six points from Rovers this season.

"We had the two best chances in the first half and scored a good goal on the counter attack, whereas I don’t think our keeper was stretched.”

The home side came closest to scoring through striker Caolan Lavery in the second half, but his shot from inside the box was saved by the legs of Hartlepool keeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

Jamie Sterry had Hartlepool’s best chance to break the deadlock before their goal when he fired just wide from distance.

Dodds’ goal in the 88th minute was Hartlepool’s sole effort on target at the Eco-Power Stadium.

The win kept them out of the relegation zone and they remain one point above the bottom two.

Doncaster stay in fifteenth place, five points off the final play-off spot.

Curle, who handed debuts to five of his 11 January signings yesterday, said: "It was an excellent result but there are still a lot of things to improve on the training field.”