Exeter City fell to their first defeat in five league games as poor start to the second half saw them lose 2-1 at home to struggling Hartlepool United.
The Grecians went into the match on good form and looked like they were going to extend their four-game winning run in League Two as they were the more threatening of the two sides in the first half.
But Hartlepool responded after the break to steal a much-needed win, with goals from Michael Woods and Charlie Wyke.
The victory, the first for the Pools under the caretaker charge of Sam Collins, was enough to lift the club out of the relegation places.
City manager Paul Tisdale made four changes to the side that faced Coventry on Tuesday night.
Matt Grimes and Christy Pym, having been on international duty with England under-20s in the week, started and Graham Cummins and Craig Woodman returned having come back from injuries.
City had the better of the first half, but lacked a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch.
Grimes, who had a scout from Nottingham Forest watching him in the stands, was the most impressive of the home players.
He tested Hartlepool keeper Scott Flinders with City's two efforts on target in the first half – one from a free-kick on five minutes and the other with a rasping drive that was flying towards the right hand corner of the net from 30-yards out before it was tipped around the post.
Hartlepool's best effort was also a long-range strike on 12 minutes, from Dan Jones, but Pym got two strong fists to the ball to block the shot.
City responded in kind though as Grimes took the ball around Tommy Miller and hit a shot that was a foot over the crossbar.
Arron Davies then fed a pass into Jimmy Keohane, but the Irish forward was denied a shooting chance by a great sliding challenge from Harrison.
The second half began with Keohane heading a Danny Butterfield cross straight at Flinders, but that was about as good as it got for the home side in the early stages of the second half as their performance level dropped.
Grimes, who had been so good in the first half, was quiet by his standards, and City were slow and unorganised at the back.
Hartlepool's opening goal came far too easily. On 48 minutes Lewis Hawkins got to the byline and dinked a cross to the edge of the six-yard box for Michael Woods to rifle a half volley home.
Oakley was then in the right place at the right time to block a Hawkins shot on the goal line as Pym's punch clear from a corner failed to clear the City box.
Tisdale tried to change the flow of the game on 60 minutes as he introduced David Wheeler and Tom Nichols to the game. However, five minutes later the visitors had made it 2-0.
Wyke played a quick one-two with Miller to get in on the right side of the box and then he drilled a low shot across Pym and into the left corner of the net.
Minutes later Pym had to be on his toes once more to tip another Wyke shot over the crossbar as United continued to press.
City were back in the match though with 11 minutes to go as Grimes delivered a free-kick to the back post where Nichols headed towards goal. Flinders blocked the effort, but Ribeiro tucked home the rebound from close range.
Having provided the cross for Ribeiro's goal Grimes came to life again and hit a 30-yards drive just over the crossbar.
Substitute David Noble also had an effort whistle just past the upright and Scot Bennett had a close range header go over, but the rousing comeback never materialised and City were made to rue their poor start to the second half.
Exeter City (3-4-1-2): Pym; Davies, Ribeiro, Oakley, Woodman, Riley-Lowe (Nichols, 60); Butterfield (Noble, 71), Grimes; Keohane; Bennett, Cummins (Wheeler, 60). Subs not used: Hamon, Tillson, Jay, Watkins
Hartlepool United (4-5-1): Flinders; Duckworth, Harrison, Austin, Jones; Miller, Bates, Woods; Wyke, Hawkins (Franks, 90), Brobbel. Subs not used: Holden, Walker, Richards, Smith, Atkinson, Green.
Booked: Bates (40)
Attendance: 3,547
Referee: Darren Sheldrake
