Williams keeps Pools clear of sparkling Diamonds

Hartlepool fought back from behind to keep their place at the top of the table with a 2-1 victory over Carlisle yesterday after the visitors had taken a first-half lead through Jamie Burt, who is on loan from Chesterfield.

Burt almost doubled the advantage just before half-time when his shot bounced off the post, but the home side equalised four minutes after the break when the defender Graeme Lee hit a loose ball into the roof of the net after Carlisle had failed to clear a corner. The winner came after 79 minutes when Darrell Clarke headed down a cross for Eifion Williams to volley his 13th goal of the season from 12 yards.

Rushden & Diamonds kept up the pressure in second place with a 5-1 defeat of Shrewsbury, despite having a man sent off. Duane Darby scored twice for Rushden before Stuart Gray made it 3-0 at half-time. Luke Rodgers reduced the arrears within 28 seconds of the second half starting, but Onandi Lowe replied for Rushden, whose substitute Robert Duffy was sent off for a second bookable offence after a foul on Ian Dunbavin. Paul Hall completed the Diamonds haul.

Bury took advantage of the numerous postponements to go third thanks to Ian Lawson's 71st-minute strike, which was the only goal of the game against Hull, while Scunthorpe rose four places to seventh with a 3-1 victory at York. Steve Torpey and Martin Carruthers scored before Wayne Graves made victory secure after Darren Edmondson had equalised for York midway through the first half.