A wonder goal from Anthony Mancini proved the difference in a match that suggested a goalless draw until the Hartlepool midfielder sent a shot floating beyond Mark Cousins midway through the second-half.

Fleet made three changes after the win over Wealdstone, with Declan Skura handed his debut and Luke O’Neill and Billy Clifford also introduced.

A quiet opening stage of the match came to life when Mancini found the first opportunity on 10 minutes, shooting wide of the post but without troubling Mark Cousins.

The Fleet maintained most of the early possession but only had a long-range Skura pass into the box to show but unfortunately that was counted out after Dominic Poleon strayed offside. 

Mancini was further away with his next shot and after Courtney Duffus was fouled, Tom Crawford sent a free-kick low through the box but again well off target.

Joe Grey tested Cousins with a near-post shot when he got the wrong side of Ouss Cissé but the Fleet goalkeeper saved and at the other end Darren McQueen’s electrifying run down the right got him clear of the Pools defence but a deflected effort was a comfortable catch for Joel Dixon.

Fleet’s best spell of a quiet first-half came at the end of it as they began to pick up the pace. Clifford pulled the trigger on a low shot that Dixon gathered before Myles Kenlock’s excellent challenge released McQueen whose quick few steps got him space to shoot but Dixon palmed the ball away for a corner.

Dixon was on hand to gather Samuel’s effort as the first-half closed with neither side looking convincing enough to break the deadlock.

The second half began in similar fashion with neither goalkeeper having much work to do, although Cousins kept out a Crawford shot from distance that didn’t threaten.

Dominic Samuel had a good run ended on the byline with Poleon waiting to pounce as Hartlepool defenders got back quickly but in a match of minimal chances, Hartlepool took their next one.

It came just before the hour, a long-range strike from Mancini bending towards the top corner of the net, beyond Cousins and off the bottom of the bar for what proved to be the winner.

The Fleet tried to respond instantly, a strong run through the middle from Toby Edser found Clifford who saw his cross go for a corner. He took it and launched a delivery into the middle where O’Neill was just under it as he timed his run well.

The home side introduced Omari Sterling-James and Ben Chapman with a switch in formation and it nearly came off at the end, Sterling down the right sending in a cross that skipped free of a few advancing red shirts and bounced for Skura who just couldn’t make the connection.

And so the three points went to the visitors as the Fleet suffered their first defeat against Hartlepool and now must make the most of two successive away matches at Maidenhead and Oxford.

EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, Kenlock, Skura, Cissé, Wright (Tanner 82), Edser, Clifford (Chapman 77), McQueen (Sterling-James 77), Poleon, Samuel.

Subs: Bingham, Ibe

HUFC: Dixon, Ferguson Wallace, Mancini (Stephenson, 79), Grey, Crawford, Onariase, Hendrie, Parkes, Featherstone, Duffus (Wreh, 85).

Subs: Dolan, Jameson, Pruti

Attendance: 1,547 (162 HUFC)