Pressure grows on Hartlepool United's need to win as John Askey issues rallying call ahead of Eastleigh test

Hartlepool bring an end to a busy period of fixtures in the National League against Eastleigh before their focus switches to the FA Cup next weekend.

But Askey’s side welcome a Spitfires side who leapfrogged them in the division this week following their emphatic 5-2 success over Ebbsfleet United with Pools slipping to a third straight defeat against Boreham Wood.

Having made a positive start to the new season Askey’s side had a September to forget with just seven points taken from a possible 21 before continuing that trend in the midweek defeat at Meadow Park.

Askey was left frustrated in the week after feeling his side were hard done by in Hertfordshire and has admitted Pools now need to get back on the winning trail.

"We’ve got to look forward to going out there and putting right one or two things that have not been going right for us,” said Askey.

"I thought we were really unlucky on Wednesday – I still can’t work out how we managed to lose it, but that’s how things have been going for us.

"All we can do is take confidence from the way that we played. On another day we would have won the game.

"The players have got to realise if we play like that then we’re going to start to win games. We’ve got to dig in deep and pull together.

"[Eastleigh] are a big strong team who have picked up results of late and have been scoring goals, so they'll come into the game confident,” he added.

"It’ll be a hard game but it’s a game we’ve got to go and win. We’ve gone long enough now without a result.

"It’s another opportunity for us to get ourselves going again and get three points because we desperately need it now.”

Despite Hartlepool’s loss of form over the course of the last month, Askey believes morale will remain high providing the squad are united with one another.

"You’ve got to try and bring everyone together,” he said.

"It’s a time to close ranks and fight for one another. It’s no use pointing fingers, we all want the same thing.

"You could see on Wednesday that it means a lot to the players. It’s been a difficult time but hopefully if we can get that first win again it can be a springboard to get back into those play-off places.”

Victory for Hartlepool – something they have not done in their last three attempts on home soil – would see them climb back above Eastleigh and potentially back into the top seven depending on results elsewhere.

In order to do that, however, Pools will need to keep one of the league’s leading marksmen at bay in Paul McCallum who scored his eighth, ninth and tenth goals of the season in the midweek win over Ebbsfleet.

Hartlepool have kept just one clean sheet under Askey, that coming in the recent win over Dagenham & Redbridge, and have not kept a clean sheet at home since January’s 2-0 success over Rochdale, with Askey aware of the need to limit Eastleigh’s opportunities in front of goal.

"He’s been banging them in for years now so we know what to expect,” Askey said of McCallum.

"Him and Quigley up front are big strong lads with plenty of experience, they know what they’re doing. If he gets the chance then there’s a good likelihood he’ll put it away, so we need to make sure we limit their chances.

"Every team you play usually has somebody capable of winning a game but he’s the in-form striker at the moment.”

Pools could also welcome back Chris Maguire who signed for the club last year but was unable to make a single appearance owing to contractual issues.

Maguire was one of the final acts under Paul Hartley when joining the club on a free transfer following his exit from Lincoln City having been suspended by the Imps after being charged with misconduct by the FA in relation to an alleged breach of betting rules.

The former Sunderland, Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday star was cleared to return to football this year when he joined Scottish side Ayr United on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

Maguire linked up with former Sunderland owner Stewart Donald once more in the summer when completing a move to the Silverlake Stadium where he has made 14 appearances so far this season scoring three times, including in each of his last two games.

Pools are without a goal themselves since the 1-0 win over Dagenham as they continue to boast the worst goal difference in the top half of the National League table.

"It’s concerning when you’re not winning games,” said Askey.

"You look at everything. Frustration is probably not the right word, it’s more than frustrating.

"So it’s a massive game again – every one is now until we get back on a run.

"We’ve got to stick together and then hopefully on Saturday we can perform and start putting the ball in the back of the net again and then one win can lead to two wins and all of a sudden you can get back on a run. But we’ve just got to dig in at the moment and stick together.”