FOR James Poole, the disappointment of two dropped points on Tuesday won’t fester.

The Hartlepool United attacker was left frustrated as Pools were unable to breach ten-man Colchester in a frustrating 0-0 draw.

A point took Pools to seven from safety, but with ten games to go, they need to win the majority to remain in League One.

Yeovil at home on Saturday is followed by a trip to Oldham next Tuesday, two games that will go a long way to determining Pools’ fate.

“It’s a massive disappointment, we put them under the cosh for 70 minutes and to not score is deflating,’’ he reflected.

“It was a big chance to close the gap, our game in hand. But we’ve ten games to go and know what we need to do. Come the end of the season that could be a vital point.

“It’s a game to put to the back of my mind now.

“Saturday is vital and if we put this frustration away then we get focused for another cup final – that’s what the next ten games are.

“It’s a home game on Saturday and if there’s been a set-back you don’t have to wait long to put it right. Use it to our advantage.

“It’s a busy period, but we can come back from this. The point means something to us and our reaction showed how much it means to us.

“This was a point towards the total, but we needed to be better really.’’ Poole has played a key role in the club’s recent revival, a run of one defeat in eight games.

That sequence has lifted spirits within the camp and a regular starting spot has been a real boon to Poole.

“There’s been a real turnaround, personally I’m enjoying my football,’’ he admitted.

“It’s hard on the bench to keep motivated. You work in training and then want to play Saturday and when it’s not happening it’s not nice.

“The improvements we have made have been massive and we have been like two different teams. I just hope it’s not too late to rescue this situation.

“I’m playing in my preferred position, it suits me down to the ground playing more central. From when the manager came in I was excited as I know I have the ability to play higher up the field.

“I’d like to think I’ve shown in the last seven or eight games.’’ Now, with Pools still in the bottom four despite their recent revival, Poole admits the realisation of a drop into League Two lingers.

“It means everything to us – it’s our livelihoods,’’ he said.

“If we go down then there’s going to be big changes.

Speaking on behalf of the team, it’s not what we want, we’ve given everything we can to stay up and it’s showed.

“We had so much possession and so many chances, this is two points dropped.

We move on.’’ It’s a situation Hughes is all too aware of and the coach admitted: “We need wins, even looking ahead and if this doesn’t go well here and we get something there, you are better off with a win than two draws.

“We are in there fighting, it’s a big month ahead of us with a lot of games and we hope we are still in there battling come April.’’ Antony Sweeney made a 45-minute appearance for the reserves in a 4-0 defeat at Hull last night.

The midfielder returned as a late substitute on Tuesday following six weeks out with a knee injury.

He could be involved in the first team at the weekend after Jack Baldwin was forced off against Colchester with a knee problem.

“Sweens, when Jack got hurt we wondered if he could do it and go on after half an hour, but he’s been out for six weeks so we have to protect him as well. It’s nice to have him back in the fold, there’s a big part for him to play,’’ said Hughes.

Adam Boyd, the ex-Pools striker, is on trial in the Phillipines as he weighs up the prospect of a move there.

He recently left Spennymoor in the Northern League.

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