HARTLEPOOL’S losing streak came to an end at the weekend, but Mick Wadsworth insisted he would reserve judgment on whether his side were over their ‘blip’ until after in-form Tranmere Rovers had visited the Vic.

And on this evidence he was right to sound a note of caution.

Pool’s recovery was cut short as a second-half double from Lucas Akins inflicted United’s fourth defeat in five games.

Wadsworth’s side began the season with a club record-breaking nine-game unbeaten run, but three successive defeats this month soon put paid to that.

Saturday’s 3-2 win at Chesterfield was supposed to be the turning point, but last night’s defeat against in-form Rovers means it has not worked out that way Pool slip three places to 10th in the table, while Tranmere move into the top six after extending their unbeaten run to five league games.

Wadsworth decided not to tinker with a winning side, naming the same starting XI that came from behind to take all three points at the B2net Stadium.

Tranmere also won at the weekend, beating Walsall at Prenton Park, but manager Les Parry was forced into making a change with striker Mustapha Tiryaki replacing Enoch Showunmi, who failed to recover from a groin problem in time to play. The game started at a furious pace, with both goalkeepers making excellent saves inside the first five minutes.

Pool were inches away from making a dream start inside 80 seconds, when James Poole cut the ball back from the byline on the left and Nathan Luscombe hit a powerful drive from the edge of the area which Rovers keeper Owain Fon-Williams did brilliantly to fingertip his effort over the bar.

At the other end, Scott Flinders got down quickly to his right to push away a shot from Adam McGurk in the fifth minute.

But after those early chances, both sides struggled to create as defences gradually took charge.

Pool edged the first 45 minutes but, aside from Luscombe’s shot, they failed to test Fon-Williams.

And the game changed when Akins put the visitors in front within 30 seconds of the restart.

The dangerous McGurk worked space to shoot from the just inside the box and Flinders dived low to his left to push the ball away and Akins was there to follow-up from close range.

Rovers’ ex-Sunderland midfielder Robbie Weir almost doubled their lead on the hour, stabbing over the bar from six yards after Jose Baxter had headed a deep right-wing cross into his path.

But Rovers did go 2-0 up six minutes later when Akins claimed his second.

Again McGurk was involved, sending a long throw-in into the box which beat the defence and Akins was there at the near post to stick out a leg and divert it home.

Pool might have made a game of it had Andy Monkhouse’s shot from 12 yards out found the net 20 minutes from time but, although the ball beat Fon-Williams, Rovers skipper John Welsh was in the right place on the line to keep the ball out at the foot of the left-hand post.

Rovers withstood heavy Hartlepool pressure in the final 15 minutes.

But it was the visitors who came closest to scoring through McGurk in injury-time, although he fired wide of the target with his left foot after being put through on goal in the right-hand channel.