BY the end of March, Hartlepool United will know just how the end of the season will pan out.

Five games, 15 points available. Nine points, starting today against Southend, would go a long way to ensuring April and May is a bit more relaxed than it will be if they fail.

Southend, Yeovil and Tranmere are Pools’ next three opponents before Southampton and Swindon are on the agenda.

The first three are against teams in a similar position to Chris Turner’s side.

Pools won their last home game, finishing convincing 4- 1 winners over Carlisle, and goalkeeper Scott Flinders is after much of the same this afternoon.

“We are playing well, but I think we just need that bit of luck now,’’ he admitted. “We showed at home against Carlisle we can do it, and came into this game with some confidence.

“We played well at Millwall last weekend and created good chances, it was a good game.

“The manager said if we play like we did in the second half for the rest of the season we will pick up our share of points.

“The next three games are winnable, against the sort of teams we should be beating.’’ Pools have earned plenty of plaudits but few points in recent defeats and Flinders accepted the need for pretty football may need to be put on hold in favour of a more dogged display.

“We need points, not so much performances,’’ he admitted. “We don’t need to play the pretty football, but we just need the wins.

“It’s the stage of the season when teams are drifting off to the play-off zone and we are drifting off at the other end of the table towards the relegation zone.

We need to climb the table.

“There’s not much talk among the lads about relegation.

“We all look at the table, but our focus is on the game each Saturday.

“At the start of the season we knew we had a tough period at this stage of the season. Now it’s over we know we have an easier run in against teams in and around us.

“The win over Carlisle was important, now the Southend game is just as important for us. They lost last Friday night to Charlton, which was a bit of a favour for us.

“I think the gap is three points, Saturday is a must win. We’ve always been outside the bottom four and now it’s important we stay out of it with a win over Southend.

“We know we are a better team than a bottom four one.

We have played well against teams above us, but lost. We know we are a good side, now it’s about winning and proving it.’’ Flinders has played every game for Pools this season since his summer switch from Crystal Palace.

The 23-year-old is relishing the opportunity to play regular first-team football, but revealed he could have been facing Pools last weekend. I had the chance to move to Millwall permanently two years ago, but they couldn’t agree terms with Palace,’’ he said.

“I’ve moved to Hartlepool now and I’m enjoying my first full season as a first choice. I’ve always been an understudy, since I made my debut at 18. I’m 23, I’ll be 24 in the summer and now I’m playing regular games.’’

* Pools are joining forces with all 72 Football League clubs in a week of action to raise awareness and vital funds for Help for Heroes – the Football League’s official charity partner for the 2009/10 season. Chief executive Russ Green said: “We whole-heartedly support Help For Heroes and have done since its conception. This cause is appreciated more than ever at a football club when we have players out there on a Saturday who are all the same age as those going out to fight - that makes it all the more poignant.”

Pools have already shown their support for Help for Heroes this season when the club produced a special one-off matchday programme for the FA Cup game with Kettering Town along with Printability 2000Ltd and all proceeds raised went to the charity.

Players also wore a special edition one-off ‘Poppy shirt’ for the Kettering game, with all shirts being auctioned after the game and proceeds being donated to Help For Heroes and the British Legion.