Down to ten men for almost an hour after being victims of a controversial penalty decision, Pools clawed their way back into the game in the second half with a headed goal from Ritchie Humphreys, only to miss a late penalty before conceding a cruel third goal.
To make matters worse, they played without the injured defensive kingping Sam Collins for much of the second half.
Ref Dean Whitestone was the man who sent off Richard Barker and Andy Monkhouse at Rochdale late last season, not that we are trying to make a point with that fact, of course. It just seems a coincidence, that's all.
Mr W showed the red card to Jamie McCunnie (left) after appearing to take ages to make up his mind over a foul on former Pools striker Ian Moore, but when Joel Porter was fouled for Pools' penalty late in the gam,e, there wasn't even a yellow.
No wonder Danny Wilson wasn't happy with the consistency - or lack of it - shown by the officials.
This will probably sound like the usual website bias, but Pools did deserve more than this defeat for a good performance, honest they did.
But luck hasn't always gone their way this season, and they'll be hoping things get better when they go to Crewe next weekend then entertain Yeovil and Swansea on Easter Monday and the following Saturday.
Cross everything.

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