HAVING tasted play-off heartbreak four times in five years with Hartlepool United, Chris Westwood wants to make sure success is sustained at Victoria Park.

After promotion last season, Neale Cooper guided Pool to a shock play-off place in Division Two despite being billed as relegation certainties in August.

Many predict Pool's best chance of a dream campaign in Division One, for the first time in the club's history, has gone after Wednesday's defeat to Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

But Westwood - aware of the threat posed by relegated Walsall, Wimbledon and Bradford next season - has refused to consider talk of a hangover.

The dependable defender knows a summer of change lie ahead, with a number of players out of contract, but he is convinced that Pool can be a real force in Division Two.

And he believes previous failings in play-off pushes - against Darlington, Blackpool and Cheltenham - will stand Pool in good stead as they look towards the 2004-05 Coca Cola League campaign.

"It's unbelievable because we have had to get over defeats like this three times before," said Westwood. "It's hard to take but we have always bounced back in the past. It's one of those things and we are a strong bunch, we just have to try again next year.

"We will never know whether this was our chance of getting Hartlepool in the First Division. There are some big teams coming down and there will be some big spenders next season.

"It will be interesting to see what happens at this club during the summer but, regardless of who we will be playing, we have to give it our best shot just like this season.

"People under-estimated us but now they know they under-estimate us at their peril next year."

Westwood was actually on the Pool bench when Bristol struck the killer two goals in the dying stages of the semi-final second leg on Wednesday.

The centre-back suffered a dead leg and Cooper replaced him at the heart of the defence with midfielder Mark Tinkler.

And Westwood, on the pitch when Pool took a second half lead, admitted thoughts of a trip to the Millennium Stadium did start to cross his mind. "Even when I went off they didn't look like scoring," he said.

"We couldn't have considered playing at Sunderland and Leeds, those sort of things just didn't cross our minds.

"I would say there were thoughts about the Millennium Stadium but we couldn't have thought past that because there would have been another game to play.

"When Sweens scored I think there was only me who didn't go and celebrate because I couldn't run. I tried to carry on but I couldn't go any further."

After Westwood had to go off injured, influential Micky Barron had to follow suit when a powerful Christian Roberts cross left him unconscious after hitting him in the face.

And, without a defender on the bench, striker Eifion Williams was asked to play right-back for the final minutes and Pool were robbed of a date at Cardiff.

Westwood said: "It was just shattering and all the lads will never be able to forget it. To think that in the last two minutes we were one nil up and to concede two goals is just mind-blowing.

"All the lads worked hard for each other. Micky Barron threw himself at the ball and had to be carried off and that epitomises what the team was about that night.

"The lads couldn't have done anymore. I don't think they got what they deserved and we definitely didn't get what we deserved."

Cooper now must decide who he wants on his retained list for next season. Darrell Clarke, Paul Robinson, Mark Robinson, Scott Walker, Steve Carson and Anthony Williams all have deals which expire this summer.

l Eifion Williams was yesterday forced to withdraw from the Wales squad for next week's friendly games with Norway and Canada after tearing a hamstring on Wednesday.