CHRIS Westwood has issued a rallying call to his under-achieving teammates.

Hartlepool United's play-off hopes have all but disappeared following disappointing 1-1 draws with Lincoln and Bristol Rovers.

But Westwood backed the sentiments of boss Chris Turner and insisted: "We can still do it.''

Pool have only eight games remaining and Westwood revealed: "After the game the gaffer said to us all that until it's mathematically impossible there is still a chance for us.

"Blackpool last season proved it can be done when they got in on the last day, so why can't we do it? "I think we will have to rely on other teams losing but if they do then we have to be ready to step in.'' But that chance would have seemed easier if they had won on Saturday and Westwood admitted: "In the first-half we played quite well and passed the ball around, but it was difficult for us in the second-half.'' Westwood was up against the highly-rated Nathan Ellington, and it was the 21-year-old who struck the goal that denied Pool the points.

"He will definitely play higher than the Third Division,'' said Westwood.

"He proved what he can do. You don't know where he is going to go with the ball and he is probably the strongest player I've played against. He's also got good balance.

"When he scored he came inside me and I thought 'if Ibring him inside he's probably going to run into one of the other defenders' but then he hit a shot and Spike said it missed his head by a whisker.

"In the first-half they tried to use the big lad up front to win flicks and headers for Ellington to run onto.'' Clean sheets have been a rarity of late for Pool, keeping just two in 19 games, but Westwood said: "If you look at the amount of chances we have missed then you can say that has let us down as well.

"They have had two or three shots and scored one goal from it.''

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