AS he kicked a ball around the Victoria Park pitch dressed in army uniform to display the importance of the battle ahead, Antony Sweeney last week joked he may need to keep the regimentals to help get away from the ground if things didn’t go Hartlepool United’s way against Hereford.

Thanks to a 4-2 win – which had a Sweeney goal to cap it off – neither he, Micky Nelson nor Joel Porter were in need of an escape party.

The win gave them a lift and eased the pressure, but it was only a start and, if performances don’t improve, then the flak jackets will yet come in handy.

Pools have better teams than Hereford to play in their last six games and better teams than Hereford will take advantage of the failings which have dogged Pools this season and last.

Twice they took a first half lead and twice they squandered it. In the drab second half it looked like Pools were on course for a point, which would have been of negligible use in terms of league standings and, just as importantly, belief.

Instead, Sam Collins and Sweeney headed in quick-fire goals to put them four points and four places ahead of fourth bottom Northampton.

Avoiding defeat at Crewe on Saturday is imperative for Chris Turner’s side – sorting out the problems is a must.

“We scored and conceded, scored and conceded – that’s why we are where we are in the table,” admitted Turner.

“Going forward and taking chances we are probably a top eight side in this division, at home especially. But at the other end, we have a problem.

“There’s been ten games now when we have scored a goal and the opposition have got one back straightaway.

“It’s down to elation, concentration, leadership, a number of factors. We have experienced players in those areas and we are letting ourselves down.

“The game at MK Dons is a great example of it – we went one up and within a minute we were level. We do it against teams at the top, we do it against teams at the bottom, but at this late stage of the season what can you do about it?

“It’s been the story of this season and last. From my point of view it’s a dilemma because you wonder if you should take away from the attacking side of it and go all defensive, hope for a clean sheet and a 0-0? But can you sit back there and think we will keep a clean sheet away from home?

“I’ve kept it going at the other end and brought players in to give us attacking options to try a n d o u t s c o r e teams.”

In League One, no team has scored more home goals than Pools; no team has conceded more home goals either.

Porter took his t a l l y t o 21 for the season, not a bad leaving present from the striker.

Quite where those goals will come from next season in his absence is up for debate.

At least Sweeney is now popping up in attacking areas and taking his chances. When James Brown was injured for the season, Pools lost at least a dozen goals. When Sweeney was played at right back, Pools lost up to another dozen.

Turner admitted: “Sweeney is not so much revitalised, but playing in his real position.

“I think if he had been there all season he could have had ten or 15 goals by now.

“That’s not meant as a criticism of Danny Wilson, who played him right back, because I know why he played him at right back.

“He gives us an added dimension of scoring goals instead of relying on Joel or a loan striker – I cannot think of another one who chips in.

Sam Collins got one from a corner, we don’t score too many of them.”

Pools’ other problem is conceding too many of them.

After twice taking a first-half lead, they should have had enough nous to keep it tight.

Instead, a poorly organised attempt at playing offside twice played into Hereford’s hands.

Later on, during a boring spell when Hereford moved the ball around with some purpose, Pools were thankful to Jan Budtz for saving a goalbound one-on-one shot by Fabian Brandy with his feet.

At the other end there were few signs of a decisive strike.

Porter clipped the bar with a right-foot shot and that was about it, until Andy Monkhouse’s corner was strongly met by Collins.

“We didn’t play great, but did enough to win,” reflected Turner. “I saw the players coming off at half-time and sat them down and told them their body language was all wrong, it was as if they had lost.

“I told them to get out there and they had 45 minutes to get a goal to win the game. They had to get their heads up, get their chests up, take the game to Hereford and win and they did.

“For me it’s very frustrating because I kick, head, save, tackle every ball and we should do certain aspects of the game better because it is costing us.

“Credit to the players for picking it up and thankfully we did.

“The crowd were with us all day and they played their part in supporting the boys – we all want the same thing and they helped us out there.”

There’s one relegation place still up for grabs, there’s seven teams trying to avoid it.

With five games to go, at least Pools have given themselves a start.