HARTLEPOOL United manager Chris Turner sends his troops out this afternoon determined to prove the doubters wrong.

With eight games to go, Pool are still in with a chance of making the top seven, but Turner has been left exasperated by sections of the Victoria Park crowd willing to write off his team at every opportunity.

Pool go to Rochdale this afternoon and Carlisle on Tuesday in need of six points to maintain their hopes.

And Turner said: "My message to the players before they go out is 'prove these doubters wrong'.

"We will give it everything to get into the play-offs, but I feel there are too many people out there willing to write us off and - and these are our own fans!

"Too many people aren't happy unless they have had a moan or got their feelings out in the open.

"Overall our fans have been great. We have a good following away from home and our average attendance is up again. I'm glad they come along and back us.

"After we lost at Kidderminster our gate was 500 down when we played Lincoln in midweek, but they were back again last week. Now the pressure is off the players because people have already written them off.

"We could have won the last ten games - or at least got something out of each of them. It's not as though we have been outplayed for 90 minutes.

"Now we need wins from our next two games and if we do that then we are back at home next Friday on the up.

"Our last four results have been so frustrating for everyone. We could have won all four, because there were times in each of those games when we were well on top and failed to make the most of it.

"The determination is there from myself and Colin (West) and my message to the players is 'go out there and prove people wrong'.

"We were rock bottom of the table when we lost at Torquay and we have done ever so well since then to have a chance of being in the play-offs.

"Expectations are high at this club now. No one expected us to finish seventh two seasons ago and we did; no one expected us to finish fourth last season and we did; this year no one expected us to finish outside the top seven - they said we would be higher.

"We have surprised people in the last two seasons with how well we have done, maybe we have spoilt them.

"But this is the best football side fans have seen in a long time at Hartlepool United. People have been coming through the gates not because last season we had 21-games undefeated and they wanted to see that run go on, but because they know they have been entertained.

"People will come and watch attractive football and have some enjoyment and that is what we have been giving them this season.''

Turner and his players have endured a hectic two-month spell - this week was Pool's first free midweek since January - and Turner said: "We've had some real hard work in short bursts in training this week.

"We had tough sessions on Tuesday and Thursday and rested Monday and Wednesday.

"The reserves played on Wednesday and Eifion Williams and Kevin Henderson both did well. They scored three goals between them and that's the sort of competition I want at the club.

"That was only Eifion's second 90-minute game this season because Torquay don't have a reserve team. I'm sure that he and Gordon Watson can form a strong partnership.

"Hendo looked more like the player he was last season. He was chasing everything and scored two good goals. We all know he got 19 goals last season and that was an exceptional return.

"This season has been frustrating for him. We didn't start the season so well and then he's had nearly four months out with a knee operation.

"He came back in and played a few games on the spin which really took it out of him. Now he's over his injury I know that he is capable of scoring goals this season when required.'

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