CHRIS TURNER wants Hartlepool United’s away form to take a turn for the better this weekend, regardless of the outcome of today’s hearings over the Gary Liddle affair.

Pools will today discover whether or not they will be punished for fielding Liddle against Brighton on Easter Monday when he should have been starting a two-match suspension.

After requesting personal hearings following charges for a breach of Football Association rules, their case was presented to the Football League on Tuesday.

But a verdict has been postponed until they have also presented their case to the FA today and there is a genuine threat of a points deduction.

If deducted three points, Hartlepool would drop four places in League One and leave them just a point clear of Tranmere, who occupy the final relegation place, going into the final Saturday of the season.

Victories for both Tranmere and Exeter, coupled with a draw or defeat for Hartlepool, would see Turner’s men relegated to League Two.

But Turner, keen not to discuss today’s hearings, insists his players should be concentrating on improving woeful away form.

They head to Brentford, who have not lost at Griffin Park since October 3, having lost 12 and won just one of their last 13 matches away from Victoria Park.

“After Christmas I think we’ve had one defeat in six or seven home games. It’s the away form that’s affected the club for how many years? It’s not been great. I have my own opinion as to why,” he said.

“That’s been the problem this season again. We had a run of away games where we played well, but against opposition who had just a bit more quality than us.

“I’ve never knocked the players, they’ve given us everything they’ve got and it’s been a tough season. Hopefully things during the week happen correctly and Saturday should be fun.”

The situation at the bottom would have been worse had Irish striker Denis Behan not emerged from the bench to grab a late equaliser against Exeter last Saturday.

It was Behan’s first appearance in two months but the timing of his first goal since January 19 could not have been better.

Turner said: “Denis has had an up and down season. I knew he wouldn’t be able to go out there and run around for 45, 60 minutes, it’s impossible, especially in the heat. But he gave us a bit of beef and it worked.”