Defender Hayden Carson was pleased to come away from Hartlepool with all three points and an assist to his name as he contributed to Kieren Donnelly’s goal in the 41st minute of the game at Victoria Park.

Donnelly’s composed finish just before the interval was the difference in between the two sides, but Carson acknowledged that it was a tricky game to work through.

He said: “Great game, really enjoyed it.

“It’s a tough place to come. I think where they are in the league doesn’t really reflect what they’re like. They were a good side, and for me, I think it was nice to get an assist. A great finish from KD, and Rhys [Lovett] getting me out [of trouble] with the penalty save.”

Following the victory against Sutton United on Wednesday, Carson felt that it was a platform to build on, with the Hartlepool win adding further motivation and confidence for the squad.

Carson said: “Since I’ve come in, the gaffer has been saying be hard to beat, work really hard, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.

“It’s just buying into what he’s saying as well as all the lads being hard to beat. I think that’s reflected the last two games with two wins, two clean sheets. Hopefully, we can carry on from there in the next few weeks.”

Commenting on his own individual performance, Carson said: “I think I started the game really well.

“I was building confidence and then a bit of a turn in momentum, giving the penalty away was quite tough. I get in my head quite a bit so that was quite hard for me. As soon as Rhys saved it, it gave me another boost again to keep going and try and put in a good performance. The assist came from it which I’m really happy about.”