MIKE Newell last night insisted he won't give up his fight to win the Division Three championship.

Hartlepool United have seen a 14-point advantage over Rushden and Diamonds turned into a four- point deficit after yesterday's draw with Rochdale.

With Rushden beating Macclesfield 3-0, it means Brian Talbot's side go to Orient on Saturday knowing they will be crowned champions if they win.

But Newell vowed: "We can still win the league. We believe we canbeat Rushden at their place in the last match and if we play the way we can I would always back us.

"The pressure is on Rushden now. If they lose at Orient they have to stop us from winning the league."

Pool will be playing Division Two football next season, a fantastic achievement in itself, but there have been no celebrations around Victoria Park.

Instead, Saturday's defeat at Scunthorpe and yesterday's draw with Rochdale was met with abuse from individual fans fired at the manager.

The players deserve the chance to mark their achievement and skipper Micky Barron described the fans reaction as "scandalous" while admitting the gloss has been taken off their achievements.

Newell revealed: "I was disappointed with the reaction of some of the fans. Yes we lost at Scunthorpe, but we were still promoted and a lot of the lads feel down.

"The aim of the players at the start of the season was promotion and they have done that. A lot of them were down on Saturday and we had to pick them up today - it shouldn't be like that.

"I was annoyed with the reaction. I will take any abuse aimed at me, but it is not right when it deflects on to the players. They don't deserve that.''

Pool took the game to Rochdale in the second half, but despite dominating they couldn't find a way through.

While some supporters may not be 100 per cent behind Newell, the players gave them a show of unity before the game when their pre-match huddle was carried out in front of the dug-outs, with Newell and right-hand man Kevin Sheedy included.

After 16 minutes came Pool's first chance, and a first glimpse of the football which took them to Division Two. A neat spell of possession on the left led to Kevin Henderson laying the ball off into the path of Ritchie Humphreys, who shot wide.

Henderson then quickly pushed the ball wide from six yards, although it was not nearly as bad a miss as Saturday's at Scunthorpe.

But Pool were soon one down from a goal which came from their own mistakes. Tommy Widdrington's wasted pass led to Chris Westwood bringing down Matthew Doughty, and from the free-kick whipped into the area Simon Grand got a touch to divert it into the net.

Eifion Williams headed inches over from a long free-kick and the leading scorer ran at goal and tried his luck from 25 yards, but fired straight at keeper Matthew Gilks and a flowing move led to Widdrington screwing the ball high over from 12 yards.

The midfielder made amends on 43 minutes with a goal he would describe as his trademark! Humphreys saw his curling shot pushed out by Gilks and the midfielder charged in to tap into the net from a tight angle from all of two yards.

If fans thought the goal was the start of an upturn in fortunes, however, they were mistaken.

Westwood, impeccable all season, but whose mistake led to Scunthorpe's second goal on Saturday, was again the guilty party. He misread a ball in the penalty area and when it bounced over his head, Lee McEvilly cracked a shot which spectacularly curled across Anthony Williams into the top corner.

And if that wasn't bad enough, it happened at the same time as Rushden took the lead at home to Macclesfield as the title started to slip out of Pool's grasp.

Widdrington's goal tally for the season then increased to three, when equaliser No 2 came minutes after his first of the afternoon.

Pool kept Dale pegged back in their own penalty area and from Darrell Clarke's pull back, Widdrington sweetly struck the ball into the corner of the net from 12 yards out.

It should have been three after 57 minutes. A flowing move from deep inside Pool's own half saw Humphreys crash the ball against Gilkes and when it spun up in front of the empty net, it cannoned off Eifion Williams over the bar.

Pool were dominating and the leading scorer then surged into the box as Gilkes stood up to palm away his effort before Clarke headed agonisingly wide from six yards.

When it looked like they were having it all their own way, Clive Platt surged into the box and only a low save from Anthony Williams kept him out.

Gordon Watson came on with 15 minutes to go - but it was in place of Eifion Willliams and the crowd reacted furiously when the ever- willing striker was replaced.

Newell insisted: "I will stand by my decisions - that's why I am the manager. If we took Hendo off then there was no physical presence up front and we would have had Flash and Eifion up against some big lads.''

Pool were desperate for a goal, and replacing the leading scorer who was enjoying an outstanding game was a strange decision.

Gilks was inspired and he made a full stretch save to claw out a Graeme Lee effort and when the ball came back into the box, Clarke blazed wildly over.

Gilkes held on when Widdrington had the audacity and confidence to shoot from 25 yards. But that was his last action as he tweaked a calf while shooting.

A run of 11 points from a possible 33 means Pool's wait for silverware will go on and they will never have a better chance to make their mark than the one they are passing up this season.

Result: Hartlepool United 2 Rochdale 2.

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