Hartlepool United v Crawley: Ronnie Moore desperate to win at home

Pools have not won in five home League Two matches but can end that miserable run by beating Crawley Town tomorrow (kick-off 3pm).

Moore’s side started the season with back-to-back home successes but since the victory over Newport County in August, the alphabet record reads L-D-L-L-D.

In fact, Pools have more points on the road than at the Vic, but the boss believes they are now beginning to look the part again.

“We’ve been a bit nervous I think, the crowd get a bit anxious too,” said Moore.

“We’ve just got to keep plugging away, sooner or later it will change, there is no doubt about that.

“Crawley won’t be any easier than Barnet, it’s a case of us putting our chances away. If you look at the opportunities we’ve had at the Vic, we’ve had enough to have won six or seven games.

“But if they are not going in, you have to make sure you are nice and tight at the back, but we have away a sloppy goal the other night.

“It would have been a nice result if we’d won that game.

“Tomorrow will be tough, but we’re looking like we can win games now, that’s the most important thing.”

Crawley are just one place and two points behind Pools and have won twice on their travels.

They lost in midweek at in-form Morecambe but last weekend defeat Luton Town at home, as Moore pointed out.

But the Pools chief says victory and seven points from a possible nine would represent progress for his team.

“What we’ve got to do now is beat Crawley and take seven points, that would be a good end to the week,” he said.

“The clean sheet was important on Saturday and we were desperately unlucky not to keep another on Tuesday.

“We look a little safer at this time after Magnus Okuonghae and Luke Hendrie have come in to strengthen us.

“It’s now a case of us starting to put the chances away, sooner or later I think we’ll give someone a good hiding I think.

“Let’s hope it’s tomorrow but it won’t be easy.

“They lost in midweek at Morecambe but they beat Luton last Saturday. They are a little bit inconsistent, like ourselves.”

Moore said he is aware of the threat posed by Crawley and says full-backs, Luke Hendrie and Dan Jones, will have vital roles to fulfil tomorrow.

“Attacking-wise, Crawley are decent,” he said. “Their widemen are a threat and they have a big man-little man combination up top .

“We know their strengths and we know where their Achilles heel is.

“We have to be at our best when we defend – we will be asked to defend and they are a danger out wide so the full-backs have to be at their best.”