KEIGAN Parker is hoping to use his experience of a tense relegation run-in to Hartlepool United’s benefit.

The loan signing from Huddersfield helped Pools to 4-2 win over Hereford United at Victoria Park on Saturday.

And with five games remaining, starting with Saturday’s trip to bottom four rivals Crewe, Parker is confident Pools can get enough points to stay out of the drop zone.

“Three or four years ago we were in a similar position as we are now at Blackpool,” he recalled. “We managed to get out, so hopefully it can be the same.

“The key to it is just hard work. I think the manager touched on it before the game. The boys trained really well last week and we've done quite a bit of fitness work as well.”

Parker is yet to score in seven games since moving from the Galpharm Stadium and admitted: “I think the partnership with Joel (Porter) is getting better game by game. I'm disappointed not to have a goal yet, but it's not about me, it's about the team.

“Thankfully we won on Saturday and that's the most important thing. It's hard to take the ball off Joel with him scoring so many penalties.

“I won the penalty and he is putting them away, so I can't complain about that.

“I'm pleased my loan has been extended to the rest of the season. I just want to get games and I wasn't really featuring much at Huddersfield.”

The win ended a run of five successive losses and Parker added: “Hopefully we can get some confidence from that result.

“We go away to Crewe on Saturday and hopefully we can get something from that because we've got a few harder games coming up.

“We want to get away from trouble quickly. We don't want to be going to Bristol Rovers on the last day of the season still needing to get something.

“That's a hard place to go and, like I say, we've got a few hard games against the likes of Leeds and Scunthorpe so hopefully the sooner we can get the points on the board, the better.”