Cooper's tribute to five-star Pool side.

Proud Hartlepool manager Neale Cooper paid tribute to his team after they hammered Port Vale 5-2 at Vale Park last night.

Cooper's side were given a hand by Vale skipper Sam Collins who gifted Chris Shuker an opener on six minutes before earning his marching orders for hauling down Paul Robinson on 23 minutes.

But Hartlepool were hugely impressive in their demolition of a Vale side who had lost just one of their last six games and were aiming for victory to rejoin the top six.

Cooper said: "This is a massive result for us. We didn't take our chances against Bristol City but we certainly made up for that. It was a magnificent performance. We have all been involved with teams who have struggled against ten men but my players have been very professional.

"Many people were tipping Hartlepool to go straight back down because of the history of the club but we are proving to be no-one's whipping boys."

Shuker's sixth-minute strike - after racing on to Collins underhit back pass - was cancelled out by Steve Brooker just two minutes later. However Collins' dismissal proved the turning point and Ritchie Humphreys netted with a low drive from 15 yards on the half-hour.

Michael Nelson rose unchallenged to head home Gavin Strachan's corner on 70 minutes and Vale's vulnerability from set-pieces resurfaced four minutes later when Strachan's cormner was flicked on for Eifion Williams to volley home at the back post.

Substitute Darrell Clarke turned in Humphreys' low cross on 83 minutes before Michael Cummins netted a consolation goal by heading home Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's free-kick three minutes from time.