ANOTHER home game, another defeat. In seven games at Victoria Park, Hartlepool United have suffered seven defeats.
Last night they fell to their latest reverse at home, going down to Preston.
Phil Brown's side had not won in 13 games, but a single goal from Neil Mellor was enough.
Pool have not scored a goal from open play at home during this losing streak, all they have to show is a penalty against Wycombe in mid-October.
Early on, Paul Coutts' teasing cross caused bother in the box. It missed out Stephen Wright and Peter Hartley, but bounced off Neil Austin before being hacked away.
Pool should have been awarded a penalty when, from Hartley's header big defender Jamie McCombe clearly handled in the area.
He was fortunate to escape as referee Jock Waugh played on and the visitors made the most of the escape, as they soon took the lead.
A loose ball fell into the path of Neil Mellor and the striker who scored three times at Victoria Park for Sheffield Wednesday last season, confidently struck a first-time shot which spun across Scott Flinders into the net from 25 yards.
Nobby Solano had a chance from open play on the half hour. Andy Monkhouse crossed deep, Solano picked the ball up at the far post and took a touch, but that allowed goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann to smother.
The stopper then had a busy couple of minutes. Antony Sweeney burst into the area in trademark style and Stuckmann stopped.
Then he denied James Poole and lastly dived low to his right to stop a Solano free-kick.
After a flat start to the second-half, Wadsworth made a double change. Off went both Solano and Paul Murray, on came Gary Liddle and Nathan Luscombe.
Pool were given a quick lift, but that came from Poole.
He took a Neil Austin throw deep in his own half, galloped forward 70 yards and Stuckmann made his best save of the night to keep it out of the bottom corner.
Poole then fired a raking free-kick wide of the post as Pool enjoyed some spirited possession.
But it didn't last long and the direct threat on goal afterwards was minimal.
There was three minutes added on for a chance to score and break their duck. After going 576 minutes without a goal from open play, that was hardly going to make a difference.
HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders; Austin, Wright, Hartley, Horwood; Solano (Luscombe 58), Murray (Liddle 58), Sweeney, Monkhouse; Boyd (Humphreys 83), Poole. Subs (not used): Rafferty (gk), Haslam.
Bookings: None
PRESTON NORTH END: Stuckmann; Gray, Morgan, McCombe, Parry; Coutts, Doyle, Nicholson, Mayor; Mellor, Proctor (Forte 84). Subs (not used): McLaughlin, Carlisle, Smith, Arestidou.
Goal: Mellor (21)
Bookings: Doyle, Parry
Referee: Jock Waugh (Sheffield) Attendance: 4,156
