Full-time: Hartlepool United 1 Bristol Rovers 2

Bristol Rovers made it three wins in a row as Aaron Lescott and Jo Kuffour struck just before the break to help Paul Trollope’s men fight back from behind and clinch a hard-fought victory at Victoria Park.

The visitors had been on the back foot for much of the opening period and went behind after 31 minutes when Denis Behan put Hartlepool ahead with a diving header.

But the Pirates stunned the home crowd with a two-goal burst in the final six minutes of the first half.

Defender Lescott produced a striker’s finish to crash home an angled shot after skipper Stuart Campbell had drilled the ball across the face of goal.

Then, just before the break, Kuffour produced another moment of magic to put the Pirates in front.

Though Behan rattled Bristol Rovers’ woodwork twice in the second period, they held firm to make it six points on the road in the space of four days.

Rovers had named the same side that had started Saturday’s 2-0 win at Stockport, while Hartlepool made one change after their 2-0 home defeat by Charlton with James Brown replacing former Orient striker Adam Boyd up front.

And it was Brown who drew the first save of evening from Fraser Forster, although the keeper dealt comfortably with a low fourth-minute header from Leon McSweeney’s cross.

Five minutes later, Brown forced a more acrobatic stop from the on-loan Newcastle keeper, who had to tip away a fierce 20-yarder after a loose pass from Campbell had presented the home side with an opportunity to break.

Hartlepool had enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, but Rovers posed their first serious threat when they broke down their left through Jeff Hughes in the 21st minute.

The winger let fly with a low left-foot shot, but keeper Scott Flinders got down to save it.

Brown continued to look a threat for the home side and Carl Regan had to stick his head in the way of another fierce drive.

At the other end, it needed a fine tackle by Gary Liddle to prevent Kuffour getting a clean shot away and from the resulting corner, Darryl Duffy was well wide with an overhead kick.

But Hartlepool were still having the better of things and Behan headed wide on the half-hour when Peter Hartley supplied a testing cross from the left.

Moments later, however, former Cork City striker Behan found his range as he broke the deadlock when Brown supplied another decent cross which the Irishman met with a diving header to give Forster no chance.

The keeper was called into action again when he had to make a low stop to deny winger Andy Monkhouse, who had cut in from the left.

And the Pirates had another let-off when Anthony played the ball straight to Monkhouse, whose cross just evaded the advancing Brown.

But the Pirates silenced the home fans by levelling six minutes before the interval after a short spell of pressure.

Campbell drove the ball across the face of goal from the right and when it fell to Lescott on the left-hand side of the box, the defender produced a quality finish to crash home the equaliser.

Chances then started to arrive with more frequency for the visitors. First, Flinders fingertipped a Kuffour attempt over the top after Duffy had set up the shooting chance.

And from the resulting corner, Duffy found himself in space but sidefooted a decent opportunity wide of the target.

The Pirates were to go in at the break with their noses in front however, as Kuffour scored a marvellous goal.

The pint-sized marksman was surrounded by defenders when he received the ball inside the box, but he twisted and turned to create space to fire in a low shot and beat Flinders from 15 yards.

Rovers glimpsed an opportunity to go further in front midway through the second period when Monkhouse made a hash of a clearance and Duffy looked like capitalising, only for Flinders to advance and smother the ball at the striker’s feet.

Then Hartlepool twice almost equalised through Behan. First the Northern Irishman let fly with a searing volley which crashed off the underside of the bar.

And as Pools kept the pressure on, the striker then smashed an angled low drive against an upright.

Rovers gave transfer-listed striker Andy Williams an outing from the bench for the final 10 minutes, and he was involved in a late breakaway but was forced wide and overhit his cross.

Then Forster completed an impressive outing with another good save, beating out a well-struck angled shot by McSweeney.

Hartlepool: Flinders, Haslam, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, McSweeney, Sweeney (Foley, 87), Fredriksen (Rowell 87), Monkhouse, Behan, Brown (Boyd 83). Subs: Cook, Austin, Rowell, Foley, Power.

Bristol Rovers: Forster, Regan, Anthony, Coles, Lescott, Pipe (Blizzard 90), Campbell, Lines, Hughes, Kuffour, Duffy (Williams 79). Subs: Phillips, Reece, Swallow, Rigg, Williams, Hunt.

Att: 3,137.