Dave Challinor remaining focused on play-off push at Hartlepool United despite set-back against Ebbsfleet United

Pools would have moved into the top seven of the National League for the first time this season had they been able to beat the relegation-threatened Fleet.

But Gozie Ugwu’s 78th-minute penalty was enough to see the Kent outfit emerge as 1-0 winners at Victoria Park.

Challinor was sent off following the full-time whistle for a coming together with Ebbsfleet defender Ayo Obileye, who was also dismissed – he will appeal the decision.

The result saw Hartlepool drop to 10th in the table but are just a point outside the play-off places going into Saturday’s match at Sutton United.

“We’ve missed an opportunity and next week there’s another opportunity for us,” he said.

“I still think there will be a certain number of points that we’ll need. Until we run out of games in terms of being able to get the points I think we need, then we potentially have a problem.

“We have to move on and go to Sutton for a different challenge and a different surface. “[The play-offs are] not a million miles away, games will turn around and there will be results that you don’t expect and Saturday was one of those occasions where we’ve not got what we wanted so we’re looking at results elsewhere.

“It’s a lot better looking when you’ve taken care of your own business. We’ve had a grumpy weekend but we got back at it on Monday.”