Bradford City v Hartlepool United: John Askey's side must 'believe' they can avoid relegation

Sweeney was speaking on behalf of manager John Askey following the 1-1 draw with Northampton Town as Pools continue to fight for their League Two survival.

Askey remains unbeaten as manager with three draws from his three games in charge, but with just 10 games of the season remaining both he and Sweeney know they will need to turn some of those draws into wins.

“There’s got to be enough in there. There’s got to be that belief because if we don’t believe that we may as well pack up and not play the next 10 games,” Sweeney told The Mail.

“We’re still above the dreaded line at this moment in time but there’s enough points for us to play for without worrying about anyone else and we need to grab them points and have a recognition that time is running out now.

“So we need to grasp it and make sure we’re in a position where it’s down to us and not other teams.”

That begins on Saturday lunchtime as Hartlepool face Bradford in the early kick-off with an opportunity to put further distance between themselves and Crawley Town.

“They’re all tough games. If you look at our run-in on paper it’s a really tough run-in. But games aren’t won on paper, they’re won on the football field,” said Sweeney.

“They need the points just as much as we do. That can add weight onto their shoulders.

“It will be a game we believe we can get the points out of. To do that, we’re going to have to finish a little better and we’re going to have to find coping strategies to turn the momentum because it’s a difficult place to go when their fans are on it.”

Askey saw the return of striker Josh Umerah against Northampton, with the 26-year-old getting on the scoresheet, whilst defender Dan Dodds came on from the bench as Pools begin to welcome a number of key players back into the fold.

Joe Grey and Jack Hamilton could be in contention after missing the draw with the Cobblers through slight injuries.

Get the latest Hartlepool United headlines with our free football newsletter! Follow the action from the Suit Direct Stadium and beyond as we bring the sport news to you. Visit our website to sign up here!