Hartlepool boss wants better for '˜best keeper' Carson

Ronnie Moore rates Trevor Carson as the best keeper in League Two '“ but he does not want him having to prove it every match.

Carson was outstanding in Tuesday night’s 3-1 defeat at Accrington, saving Hartlepool United from an bigger defeat with some excellent glovework.

The 27-year-old will be the last line of defence tomorrow at the Abbey Stadium, where Pools face another side with promotion ambitions – Cambridge United (kick-off 3pm).

Carson suffered the pain of the drop with Cheltenham Town last year and has implored the Pools players in front of him on the field to produce the goods and not put him through another relegation fight.

“I think we have the best keeper at this level,” said Moore.

“He’s unbelievable, some of the saves he’s made have been incredible.

“He does not want to be involved in what he went through last season.

“That’s why he’s come here – we told him we were going to give promotion a good go.

“We started like that, but we faded, so we need to get back to know what we can do.

“We don’t want to be scrapping like we were last season and it’s the last thing Trevor wants.

“He doesn’t deserve that and the players should be thinking about him.

“They should be thinking ‘let’s get started and have a real good go’.”

Few would doubt Moore’s assertion about the former Sunderland stopper, who joined Pools in the summer.

“He should be playing higher, there is no doubt about that,” said Moore.

And the first priority for Moore and Pools is to get higher in this division.

Pools are 21st, level with Newport County on 23 points and just four behind Stevenage, who they have four games in hand on.

Moore is looking for a positive reaction tomorrow following that midweek loss at the Crown Ground.

While you could not question the quality of football produced by a very gifted Stanley side, Pools got nowhere near them, especially in the first half.

Tomorrow’s opponents might lack the guile and movement of Accrington, but they are a strong side and Pools need to respond and seek some consistency.

“You just don’t know what’s coming sometimes [from the players],” Moore told SportMail.

“They train hard and they talk a good game before they go out.

“Now, it’s about them rolling up their sleeves.

“Last week’s win over Wycombe should have been the start of the season, but we follow a great result with a bad one.

“That’s what we need to cut out.

“OK, Accrington are a good side, probably one of the best footballing teams along with Oxford. But we need to be better.

“Sooner or later the penny has to drop – we can’t seem to get back-to-back results.

“There are no draws out there for us.

“I don’t know how long I’ve been saying this but if you can’t win them, don’t lose them.”