John Askey comments on his Hartlepool United future after Crawley Town defeat leaves Pools on the brink of relegation

Askey watched on as his side fell to a third straight defeat and this time a significant one in that it all but relegates Hartlepool from the Football League.

Askey said in the lead up to the fixture with Crawley it was the club’s last chance to try and ensure their EFL survival and it is a chance they blew when falling to another lacklustre 2-0 defeat.

Dom Telford scored twice, once in either half, as Cralwey secured a vital three points to move six ahead of Askey’s side with just two games remaining and holding a greater goal difference.

And although it did not mathematically relegate Hartlepool to the National League, Askey could not hide his disappointment.

“It’s probably the worst I’ve ever felt after a football game. To sum it up, I can’t,” said Askey.

“I just know it’s that horrible, sinking feeling, which I’m sure thousands of people who are Hartlepool supporters have got. It hurts.”

It’s a result which leaves Askey in a difficult situation with relegation set to blemish his CV.

But the Hartlepool boss says he wants to try and focus on the final two games of the season before a summer where conversations will likely need to be held.

“I’ve got to try and get over this first. All I can do is give it my best until the end of the season and try and get the players at it on Saturday and just for pride more than anything now. That’s all we’re playing for. We’ll see.”

He added to The Mail: “We’ll have a look at where we are and see what players are still under contract and what players aren’t and then take it from there.”

And asked whether he wants to be the man to bring Hartlepool back to the Football League, should their anticipated relegation be confirmed, Askey admitted they were conversations he would hope to be having under different circumstances.

“Yeah [it’s a conversation we’ll have to have]. I wish I wasn’t in this position. Have I got the experience to do that? Yeah,” said Askey.

“The short time I’ve been at the football club I’ve enjoyed it, despite where we are, and the support has been absolutely brilliant.

“You get a feeling for a football club and the area. The people are good and I’m not just saying it. I went to the car park the other day and I didn’t have any money on me and a woman gave me money for the car park. It’s things like that which shows you how decent the people are.

“Some people might not have a great deal, it’s a bit of a deprived area, but they’re proper people who’ve got a passion for football and I’ve felt that since I’ve come in.

“People at the football club have to look at the reason why. It’s happened for a reason,” Askey added on Hartlepool’s impending relegation.

“Whether I could have done more to help to keep them up then I have to look at myself. Other people at the football club need to do that as well.”