Emmanuel Dieseruvwe's Hartlepool United admission after double strike helps claim victory over Eastleigh

Dieseruvwe ended a seven-game run without a goal in blue and white when restoring Hartlepool’s lead over Eastleigh after Chris Maguire had expertly cancelled out Tom Crawford’s opener for John Askey's side.

Dieseruvwe – the National League’s player of the month for August following a blistering start to his Pools career in which he scored six goals in his first six games for the club – then added a quickfire second to take the game away from the Spitfires and end Hartlepool's three-game losing streak.

The striker headed in from Luke Hendrie’s cross before turning in Joe Grey’s assist to take his tally to eight goals in 14 appearances since his arrival from FC Halifax Town.

And Dieseruvwe admitted it was a ‘relief’ for both himself to find the back of the net once again and his team-mates as they arrested their recent dip in form.

"It’s just relief really. Three games without a win has been frustrating,” he told BBC Radio Tees.

"So to get the win it was more relief at the end of the game and we get a week's rest to go into a different competition now.”

The three points move Hartlepool back into the National League play-off places, while the double in front of goal moves Dieseruvwe up to fifth in the league’s goalscoring charts, with the striker suggesting his confidence has returned after finding himself on target once more for the first time since the beginning of September.

“Confidence is a crazy drug,” he said.

"As soon as you score you feel on top of the world and feel like you can score in every game, so with them two the confidence is well and truly back.

"I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t [been bothering me],” he added.

"But I think you have to go into every game with confidence. Today we looked more like ourselves in terms of moving the ball from back to front and that just helps everyone with a bit of clarity and movement, and getting on the ball and creating chances, like we did for me to put away.

"I have been guilty of missing a few, maybe in the last few games, but that’s life as a striker, you’re going to miss as many as you score, but I'm really happy to get the two goals today and get the win.”

Dieseruvwe has been a key player for Askey’s side this season but while his struggles in front of goal have been a challenge in recent weeks, the 28-year-old conceded it has been a difficult period for the club having seen their form dip.

"There’s been a lot of things we’ve had to deal with,” he said.

"Sometimes you do need that little bit of luck in terms of injuries, or in games those moments you need to go for you, and over the past few weeks they haven’t been going for us. So it has been frustrating.

"But like the gaffer says, we’ve got to stick together to keep morale high.”