John Askey has this message after Hartlepool United drop back into the bottom two with Newport County defeat

Askey tasted defeat for the first time as manager since arriving at the Suit Direct Stadium with Hartlepool well short of what we have come to expect under his stewardship in the eight games previous.

Pools arrived at Rodney Parade unbeaten in eight but left South Wales back in the bottom two after being second best throughout against a Newport side led by former striker Omar Bogle.

And it was Bogle who opened the scoring when turning in with his back to goal in the Hartlepool penalty area little over a quarter-of-an-hour into the game.

Askey’s team talk was made even more difficult as the Exiles doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Mickey Demetriou was able to convert from close range at the second time of asking as Pools slumped back into the bottom two with just four games remaining.

Askey admits he was disappointed in the manner of their defeat but believes it is about how they respond to their setback over the remainder of the campaign.

“It happens in football where you don’t play as well for whatever reason,” Askey told The Mail.

“You want to win every game and the last thing you want to do is feel like you’ve let people down and that’s how we feel today as though we let the club down.

“I don’t mind losing but the manner we lost today was not good enough, although the lads kept going to the end and we should have scored at least one at the end. That was disappointing.

“But we’re down there for a reason and we’ve got to make sure that type of performance doesn’t happen again.

“We can put up with losing but I just thought the general performance wasn’t good enough.

“I think it was always going to happen, it's how we respond now,” Askey added.

“We were second best in the first half and couldn’t deal with the long throw and set pieces.

“It’s a disappointing performance but we were probably due one. You’re just hoping it’s not going to happen.”