Leyton Orient and Hartlepool United played out an entertaining goalless draw on Saturday

Matthew Bates was happy to see Hartlepool United pick up a point away to Leyton Orient in the National League following a breathless encounter in E10 at the weekend.

The hosts finished the game with 10-men after Joe Widdowson received a red card in the 58th minute.

Surprisingly, this only seemed to boost Justin Edinburgh’s Orient and they went close to a winner on several occasions, but in the end it finished goalless which meant a big crowd of 6,877 had to leave without seeing a goal.

Bates said: “It is a good point and we would have taken it before the game. With them going down to 10, there is always that tinge of what could have been, but we were playing against a good side and sometimes it is hard to play against 10 and they proved it.”

Despite having a man less, O’s boss Edinburgh went for the win and introduced Matt Harrold and Josh Koroma off the bench meaning Orient ended with four forwards on the pitch.

“It didn’t surprise me,” insisted Bates. “They were second in the table, so not for one moment did I think they wouldn’t go for it and we had to be aware of that.

“At the end of the day we are away from home, they had a big crowd, but up against 10 or 11, I always want to win football matches. We tried to win it, they tried to win it, so it was an entertaining game.”

Orient had over six thousand supporters watching Saturday’s match, but the visitors were also well backed.

Hartlepool fans made the most of the ‘Football for a Fiver’ offer by bringing an away following of 594 to the capital.

Bates added: “Our fans were great again and I know I say it all the time, but they really were.

“I guess you could ask without our fans would we have held on? I don’t know, but the players and I understand the importance of the supporters and they stick with us.

“They have been great and I am sure, even though it was a 0-0 draw, they were entertained as it was two good teams really going at it and playing some good stuff at times.”

A moment of controversy occurred in the 56th minute when Widdowson failed to bring the ball under control and caught Michael Woods.

While the full-back won the ball, the force of the challenge and height in which he made contract with the ball was enough to persuade referee Adrian Quelch to eventually get out a red card with 58 on the clock.

It left O’s fuming come full time, even though they managed to kick on after the sending off, and Hartlepool boss Bates was diplomatic on the incident.

He concluded: “I didn’t get a good look, but I saw how our players reacted and that told a story. I didn’t see much complaining from Orient’s bench at the time as well, so it is one of them.”