The Seasiders slipped to their fifth home defeat of the season against promotion chasing HullCity. The pessimists will say that Pool are a million miles away from moving away from the drop zone and relegation is on the cards, a realist will argue that given a bit of luck and a half decent referee the Seasiders will at some stage move away from the relegation zone.

Colin Hendry who was without Brad Jones, John Murphy, Paul Edwards, Keigan Parker, Danny Coid and Rob Edwards tweaked his squad by restoring Martin Bullock and Lee Jones to the starting eleven in place of Jamie Burns and the injured Brad Jones.

The visitors backed by 1800 supporters began proceedings on a surface that resembled a beach and the usual slick passing game played by both sides was ditched and at times the pitch became a lottery, having said that the Seasiders did have the first chance of the game when Richie Wellens used his trickery to find home debutant Simon Lynch who fired just wide, at the other end Stuart Green curled one just over whilst former England international Nick Barmby saw a shot deflected wide on 12 minutes.

The scrappy half almost ended on a high when Keith Southern saw his drive take a deflection and go out for a corner.

The interval saw Pool replace the injured Rob Clare with Leam Richardson but it was the visitors who were in the ascendancy Green fired wide on 47 minutes, two minutes later former Bolton man Delroy Facey flashed a shot just over whilst on 56 minutes Lee Jones produced a fine save to deny Green. Pool did have a couple of half chances, Richie Wellens produced a good save from Myhill on 53 minutes.

The deadlock was broken on the hour when Stuart Elliott rifled home his 20^th of the season, the talented midfielder who is attracting interest from clubs in the top flight latched onto a great through ball from Danny Allsopp. Four minutes later Pool had the first of two penalty appeals turned down, the first for hand ball, the second for a blatant foul on Simon Lynch, having studied the video after the game everyone was in agreement Mr Mathieson had got it wrong.

Scott Taylor who is reported to attracting the interest of Plymouth Argyle screwed a shot wide after some neat work by Gareth Evans, but Pool were struggling to find a way past the well organized Hull defence.

Hull's killer second goal came four minutes from time when Elliott fired home following a swift counter attack.

With Torquay winning at Brentford, the Seasiders need three points on Tuesday at MK Dons to claw back the gap that is beginning to appear above them.

Pool: L Jones, Clare (Richardson 45), Evans, Clarke, McGregor, Wellens, Grayson, Bullock (Burns 66), Southern, Taylor, Lynch. Subs Not Used: Edge, Anderson, Shaw

Attendance 8774