Aldershot Town v Hartlepool United: Hard work starts for Pools after cup shock

Hartlepool are looking to put their FA Cup disappointment behind them having been knocked out at the qualifying stages against Chester.

Askey and his squad make the long trip to the EBB Stadium looking, instead, to build on their win over Eastleigh last time out in the National League.

Pools brought an end to a three game losing streak when goals from Tom Crawford and a double from Emmanuel Dieseruvwe secured a 3-1 success on home soil to move back into the top seven of the National League table.

But the defeat to Chester may have set Pools back with Askey having named the same XI as he did for the win over Eastleigh.

“It’s horrible when your team has played like that. You feel responsible,” Askey said of the defeat to Chester.

"You don’t deal with it well. It affects you. It stays with you until the next game or your next good result.

“The only way we can look at it is that it’s not affected us in the league and it’s one less game to worry about but that’s about the only positive.

“We’ve got to have a look at it,” he added.

"From my point of view the only way to improve from that is by working hard. It starts by training and getting into players and if they’re not going to compete then we have to try and do something about that.

“It’s got to come from within. Whatever you’re playing, whether it’s a game of tiddlywinks or a game of football. You should want to win. Sometimes it can look like players don’t have that then on other days it can be completely different.”

Askey could hand a full debut to Middlesbrough loanee Terrell Agyemang after the midfielder came off the bench in the FA Cup tie with Chester.

Pools will also be hoping for positive updates on the fitness of Oliver Finney, Kieran Wallace and Charlie Seaman. Wallace has been missing since the 1-0 win over Dagenham & Redbridge last month after fears over a stress fracture in his leg while both Seaman and Finney were notable absentees against Chester.