DARREN Williams admits there is no danger of anyone at Hartlepool United feeling sorry for themselves.

Pool go into today's home game with Tranmere Rovers at Victoria Park on the back of a run of two wins in 12 games.

After last week's defeat at Yeovil, boss Martin Scott admitted he was looking over his shoulder at the teams below 18th-placed Pool in the League One table.

Williams joined Pool in the summer from Cardiff fully expecting to be involved in a promotion push on the back of last season's success at Victoria Park.

Instead Pool are at the wrong end of the table and he admitted: "It might be down to confidence, the season hasn't gone as we wanted, but the lads go into games believing we can win.

"We are confident in training and working hard but we need to take that into games. I think things take their toll, you wonder whether things are going to go for you.

"We have had a lot of games when we have had a lot of the ball and then you look at the results you think, 'how have we not come away with something there?'

"It has been disappointing and maybe subconsciously it takes its toll.''

Those games include recent defeats to Walsall, Southend and Colchester, three games when Pool played enough good football to win but were left to rue their lack of cutting edge.

With 19 games to go, Williams said: "It is a case of digging in now. We have to stand up and be counted. We need to do what we know we are good at and hopefully things will turn round.

"It is going to take a lot of character to get us out of a run like this. For the whole squad it is about digging ourselves out of it.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves and reflect on injuries or games we deserved to win, there is no time for that.

"We have 19 games left and we need to make sure we are nowhere near the bottom come the end of the season.

"It is very important to get results at home. Our home form has not been what we wanted and we badly want to win in front of our fans.

"We need the fans behind us, they are very important to us, and when they get behind us it helps us drive on and beat teams."

Pool have won only three times in front of their own fans this season and their last victory came at Victoria Park on December 10, when Bournemouth were beaten 2-1.

Today's opponents were beaten in dramatic fashion in the play-off semi-final last season, as Pool triumphed in a penalty shoot-out at Prenton Park after a 2-2 draw over two legs.

Rovers' boss Brian Little admits the bitter taste of that defeat still lingers at Prenton Park.

His side completed a League double over Pool last season and Little confessed: "Last season has gone but we were unlucky not to have gone to the final.

"The taste has to still be in the mouth but it is no good moaning about it. Both teams have moved on and are in a different situation. It would be a massive win for either side.

"Irrespective of where they are in the league, there is still that little spill-over from last season.''

* Simon Grayson has been appointed Blackpool boss until the end of the season. He replaced the axed Colin Hendry.

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