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But Pools fought back, with Adam Boyd converting a spot-kick in time added on to earn the Monkey Hangers - beaten play-off finalists last season - an unlikely point.
Laws told BBC Radio Humberside: "I'm disappointed for the players and supporters, there are a lot of pluses but we've conceded a penalty when the ref is 60 yards away even though the linesman has given nothing.
"But if anybody had said before the season started that we'd go to Hartlepool and outplay them and make them look ordinary i'd have taken it.
"It's hard to swallow, it feels like a defeat - we're all very disappointed but there are a lot of pluses.
"They just coulg not handle Billy Sharp or Andy Keogh - we had one hell of a cutting edge. We had 10 shots on target away from home.
"We lacked height, that showed in the first goal they got. We have to be solid defending set plays.
"I was glad the players respnded, they could have just give up but we got back into the game.
"All of a sudden the belief came back, we set off like a steam train in the second-half and they just couldn't cope with us.
"I'm gutted because a win would have been a tremendous result for us, and thoroughly deserved.
"We gave too many free-kicks away, all they did was put the big lads up there and hope for the best.
"We reduced them to scraps, I'm delighted in one sense but disappointed in another."
Pools boss Martin Scott praised his side's fightback. He said: "I am delighted with a point after being 3-1 down.
"We weren't playing well and looked out of it, but the lads showed great character to come back."