Hull City 1– 0 Hartlepool
Elliott (15)

The match was decided by a debatable penalty decision after 14 minutes. When Harlepool defender Ben Clarke handled the ball in the penalty area, the linesman standing 10 yards away decided it was deliberate and raised his flag to his chest indicating the penalty. Stuart Elliott stepped forward to take it, but his weak side-footed effort was easily saved by Pools keeper Jim Provett, however Elliott reacted first to the rebound to score his 22nd League One goal of the season - cue his trademark cartwheel to the City faithfull sat in the East Stand.

It was a night of few clear-cut chances, however Elliott could have walked away with a hat-trick. In the second half the Northern Ireland international had a shot that came back of the post to be scrambled off the line, and later he's close-range header was saved by the feet of Provett in the United goal.

Hartlepool might have sneaked a point near the end but couldn't find the finishing touch during an almighty goal-mouth scramble. The win puts the Tigers 10 points clear of the third placed team with 10 games to play.

Peter Taylor: "Although Hartlepool have complaints about the penalty, I did think over the 90 minutes we had more chances than they did."

Neale Cooper: "It was such a major decision early in the game, and the only person that thought it was a penalty was the linesman."

Hull City (4-4-2) Myhill, Stockdale, Dawson (Lewis 90), Cort, Delaney, France, Ashbee, Hessenthaler, Elliott, Fagan, Barmby (Ellison 80). Subs: Duke, Price, Edge

Hartlepool (4-5-1) Provett, Barron (Craddock 77), Nelson, Clark, Brackstone (Robson 87), Humphreys, Strachan (Daly 84), Sweeney, Porter, Williams, Boyd. Subs: Kontstantopoulos, Low

Referee: M Thorpe (Suffolk).

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