The Hartlepool Mail's Robbie Stelling reacts to Saturday's abject 5-1 defeat to Rochdale.

Transcript

00:01I'm here at Spottland where Hartlepool United have endured a very difficult afternoon indeed.

00:06Losing 5-1 to promotion hopefuls Rochdale on the final away game of the season

00:11as Dale secured their spot in this year's National League playoff places.

00:15The final away day of the season is always a memorable one for pools fans,

00:19although this year perhaps for the wrong reasons.

00:21Despite the effort of the more than 700 travelling poolies who donned their best flat caps

00:26and were right behind their side from start to finish singing until the bitter end.

00:31And today it certainly was a bitter end.

00:34On the pitch pools were outplayed, outclassed and outfought.

00:37They went behind after just five minutes when Devante Rodney,

00:39who has a habit of scoring against his old side,

00:42struck for the third time in three games against pools

00:45when he scored from the penalty spot after a careless challenge from the onrushing Adam Smith.

00:50Veteran Nicky Featherstone levelled the scores six minutes later

00:53following Luke Charman's pinpoint cross.

00:55But pools soon started to capitulate and were punished for several moments of bad defending

01:00as well as some questionable goalkeeping from Smith.

01:02Ian Henderson, who turned 40 in January and could be coming to the end of his long and distinguished

01:08Dale career, made it 2-1.

01:11He's a month older than manager Jimmy McNulty and is Dale's record scorer,

01:16but ran pools ragged at times on a difficult afternoon for the visitors.

01:20Leon Ayinde was also on target.

01:23He produced a lively performance and made it 3-1

01:25after more pedestrian, passive pools defending.

01:28Devante Rodney added a fourth before substitute.

01:31Jay Bird completed the route on a very difficult afternoon for pools,

01:34as an underwhelming season comes to a lacklustre end.

01:38at least for some examples of the