FC Halifax Town suffered their third defeat in a row as they lost 1-0 to Hartlepool United at The Shay.

Will Harris missed a second-half penalty - the turning point of the contest - before the visitors struck the winner in a smash-and-grab victory.

Halifax dominated the second 45 but didn't get the point they at least deserved.

It's now three games without a goal for The Shaymen, who failed to score at home in the league for the first time this season.

The game looked like it could be a goal-fest during a fast and furious start, with a shot by Adam Campbell turned behind before a flowing move by Town, instigated by Shaun Hobson's lofted pass which was cushioned down by Josh Hmami for Sean Tarima, whose cross was headed over by Owen Devonport.

Those two made their first starts in a month, while Jack Jenkins, in for the injured Jay Turner-Cooke, started for the first time in the league under Adam Lakeland.

Harris, playing off the left, then had a shot parried by George Evans before Will Hugill fired the rebound over.

In the strongly felt absence of Turner-Cooke and with the addition of Devonport, Halifax were going direct regularly, trying to find Devonport and play off him.

And Devonport's flick on, from another superb Hobson pass, found Hmami, whose shot was tipped behind.

The Shaymen were lively in the opposition's half early on but lax in their own, repeatedly giving the ball away and inviting pressure.

After looking like it could be a goal-fest early on, with Hartlepool having some promising moments themselves, chances soon dried up and referee George Laflin started to take centre stage with some contentious decisions, or lack of them, when Town players appeared to be fouled.

A rip to the front of Hmami's shirt was testament to the physicality of the visitors, which had been going unpunished, particularly in the handling, word used advisedly, of Devonport.

By the time ex-Halifax man Jay Benn was booked for a flying tackle on Jenkins, the Halifax players and fans' anger was in danger of boiling over.

The game, though, meandered towards half-time; it was no longer fast, and the only fury was directed towards Laflin.

Halifax seized the initiative at the start of the second-half though, with Cappello's cross headed wide by Devonport at full stretch, Hmami's shot comfortably saved and then Owen Bray shooting tamely wide across goal after a lovely through ball by Hugill.

Laflin provoked more ire by stopping play after an aerial collision between Benn and Angelo Cappello, with the former prone on the ground and the latter dribbling into the box.

And the referee made another huge call moments later, awarding Town a penalty for a foul on Cappello, but Harris' effort wasn't hit with enough conviction, and Evans kept it out.

And it went from bad to worse a few minutes later when a cross from the left was turned in by Campbell.

A triple substitution, including Max Wright's first appearance for seven months, was attempted to try and kick-start The Shaymen again.

But despite as many crosses Cappello could muster, and a last gasp Hmami header tipped behind, Hartlepool defended well, and held out.

Halifax: Johnson, Tarima (Crowe 77), Hobson, Mills, Cappello, Hugill (C Johnson 77), Jenkins (Wright 77), Bray, Hmami, Harris, Devonport. Subs not used: Ford, Adetoro, Smith, Warburton.

Shots on target: 6

Shots off target: 13

Corners: 9

Hartlepool: Evans, Benn, Kouogun, Parkes (Topalloj 64), John, Sheron, Hunter, Campbell (Francis 86), Miley, Daly, Reid. Subs not used: Smith, Ferguson, Johnson, Foreman, Walker.

Scorer: Campbell (71)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 8

Corners: 5

Referee: George Laflin

Attendance: 1,805 (488 away)

Town man of the match: I'll give it to Angelo Cappello, who tried everything to make things happen down the left, and won Halifax their penalty. Special mention to Shaun Hobson too, who was excellent.