Hartlepool United 0 Stevenage 0

npower League 1

Stevenage picked up a point from their trip to Hartlepool United and had other results to thank for them moving to within one point of the play-off places.

It was a second consecutive clean sheet for a Boro side which had conceded in each of their last six games, but at the other end they failed to break down a stubborn Hartlepool back line which has conceded just 17 goals at home in the league all season.

The game did see chances, but too few of them were meaningful.

Stevenage went closest through Luke Freeman but the winger, who had been left the ball by Patrick Agyemang, dragged his left-footed effort wide of Scott Flinders’ goal when he really should have made the goalkeeper work.

Hartlepool’s best chance came in the first half when Stevenage goalkeeper Chris Day saved from Jack Baldwin’s back post header.

The game was uninspiring to the observers, but this is a result which, with Notts County losing at home to Sheffield Wednesday and Carlisle United drawing at Bournemouth, on the face of it does not seem too bad for Stevenage.

Gary Smith’s side remain a point off sixth-place Notts County with a game in hand but face a tough prospect on Tuesday evening with Colchester United coming to town.

The U’s sit one place below Stevenage in the table and have not lost in their past seven games, winning two and drawing five.

Hartlepool: Flinders, Austin, Collins, Horwood, Baldwin (Poole 46), Hartley, Humphreys (Boyd 74), Liddle, Monkhouse, Sweeney, Murray. Subs: Haslam, Rowbotham, Hawkins.

Stevenage: Day, Wilson, Charles, Ashton, Roberts, Freeman (Shroot 58), Laird, Byrom, Bostwick, Slew (Reid 62), Agyemang (Myrie-Williams 74). Subs: Julian, Lascelles.

Att: 4,484