John Askey comments on Hartlepool United's penalty decision against Grimsby Town and makes relegation prediction

Askey was able to celebrate a second successive win as Hartlepool manager after his side were able to back up their late win over Swindon Town as Dan Kemp inspired them to their biggest win of the season at Blundell Park when putting four past Grimsby Town.

Kemp added his seventh, eighth and ninth goals for the club in this just his 12th appearance since his loan move from MK Dons in January before striker Josh Umerah added the finishing touches to things when adding a fourth to seal an emphatic 4-1 win over the Mariners.

Pools had to, again, dig in and show their resilience after Michee Efete had equalised for the home side before Askey’s men were awarded a contentious penalty after Efete brought down Wes McDonald.

Efete was left incensed the decision was given as a penalty with the Mariners adamant the foul took place outside of the area with referee Anthony Backhouse unmoved.

But Askey says his side’s hard work since his arrival has earned them some fortune of late.

“Things are going for us at the moment, but things do if you work hard and play with confidence,” Askey told The Mail.

“Sometimes you go through periods and you make substitutions and everyone will say what are you doing, or he doesn't know what he’s doing.

“But at the moment things are coming off for us.

“I’ve not seen it so I can’t say, but it was touch and go,” Askey said of the penalty decision.

“But you’ve only got to look at the Tranmere one for us. Hopefully it swings round in your favour at times and you get the rub of the green and we did today.”

He added: “The main thing is that everybody feels good about it, the players included.

“So you take that into the next game. What we have done is we’ve pulled everybody back into things, so if we can keep playing and keep fighting like that I’m sure we’ll be okay.”