Danny Wilson felt the scoreline did not reflect Hartlepool's domination following the 1-0 win at Notts County.
The Pools boss said: "We started the game well and in the end I felt there was only going to be one winner.
"Being 1-0 makes it sound as though it was really close but the chances were there and we could have won by more.
"It was tough, but we deserved it - the back five won us the game, they headed every ball and competed well against Notts County's direct style."