NINE unbeaten, including five successive victories, and now three losses in a row. It's all or nothing for Hartlepool United so far this season.

A home game with Wycombe was supposed to be the ideal fixture to get back on track, to put the previous week's defeat at Notts County to bed.

Instead, it was a display just as confusing and disappointing for Mick Wadsworth.

There's no middle ground for Pools and that's the problem.

The confidence exuded after the cracking start has been sapped away by the last two performances and Pools' season needs to level out.

There was, from some quarters, a pathetically huge overreaction to Saturday's loss. Perhaps it's a case, as Paul Murray admitted afterwards, that even when flying through September, Pools were flattered somewhat by their results.

"We weren't really any great shakes on that unbeaten run. But we still ground out the results, that's what we've got to do now,'' he reflected.

"There was always going to be a game which was going to bite us on the arse.

"That happened at Notts County but we didn't expect that again.

"It's the players' fault for not implementing the formation after we'd worked on it so well - all the lads were buzzing with it.

"It's a shame but results matter. You read the papers and it's all about the result. We could have played awful and won 1-0 but that's what matters."

Wadsworth changed the formation, opting to start with three centre-halves and wing backs for the first time in his time in charge.

A fruitful week working to that set-up on the training ground produced the belief it would work. He has the players to suit the formation.

In Stephen Wright, Sam Collins and Peter Hartley he has right, middle and left- sided central defenders.

Evan Horwood's attacking instincts make him an ideal wing back and playing off the forwards with midfield protection behind gives Antony Sweeney all the attacking freedom he thrives on.

Instead none of those factors came into play and Pools reverted to 4-4-2 in the second half.

Their passing throughout was too short, or wayward, and they never moved the ball around with any crispness or attitude from back to front.

Nobby Solano, the best passer and crosser in the division, was missing, but that was no excuse for others failing to do, in Wadsworth's words "the fundamentals which win you games''.

Wycombe did them well, defending in numbers and getting bodies in the way of the ball. They weren't a good side - Pools have beaten better this season already - but they were effective in what they did.

Murray added: "It's three defeats in a row and we're all disappointed.

"We were poor last weekend and again today but we've got to stick together. We've got to try to get back to what we were doing.

"We changed formation and we thought it was the right thing to do.

"And we had some good passages of play but the two goals we conceded were awful and we'll have to have a good look at them.

"It's back to the drawing board and see what we can do.

"But we've got to stick together and put the work in on the training ground.

"It's not going to be a case of new players coming in here, there and everywhere - it's us lot and we've got to stick together.

"For the second goal Monky could have gone down but didn't. He then put it across the box and they broke and scored - that's not good.

"We have to work for each other a bit more now, get back to being solid and start doing the dirty, nasty things again - getting those second balls, the tackles, the headers.''

It was the sort of second-half in which Pools pressed and if they were able to get one goal back to reduce the deficit, they could have got two or three, such was the brittle nature of the Chairboys' performances this season.

Neil Austin headed a clear opening over, and had a shot blocked, James Poole fired wide, Andy Monkhouse's shot was blocked on the line and keeper Nikki Bull kept out Adam Boyd's overhead follow up.

By the time Boyd scored from the spot, it was 3-0 and game over.

"They've been in a position of being 2-0 up a couple of times and have lost it so we thought if we'd got one goal we might have won it,'' said Murray.

"Aussie had a chance and Poolie had a couple and we huffed and puffed but that was about it in the second half.''

Goals:

0-1: Donnelly (15, tapped into empty net after Flinders saved from Strevens)

0-2: Beavon (36, finished low after a swift breakaway from one end of the pitch to the other)

0-3: Collins og (83, bounced in off the skipper from a cross following a right sided attack)

1-3: Boyd pen (88, low finish from penalty awarded for a handball offence)

Booking: Johnson (40, foul)

Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincoln): Wycombe weren't happy with the penalty award, but by then it was game over anyway 7

Attendance: 5,241

Entertainment: 2/5

Pools Wyc

Shots on 4 7

Shots off 4 3

Fouls 8 10

Corners 6 2

Offside 4 4

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (3-5-2):

5 Flinders: Not his usual assured self and had a couple of first-half shaky moments, but made a stunning one-handed diving stop in the second half;

4 Wright: Beaten too easily inside the penalty area for the first two goals as he went to ground on both occasions

4 Collins: Seemed to lack the confidence and couldn't do anything with the own goal towards the end

4 Hartley: Like Collins played without the authority he always has as Pools played a different formation;

4 Austin: Missed a good chance at the start of the second-half to get Pools back into it when he headed over

5 Liddle: Lacked the drive and determination which epitomises his usual high tempo performances

4 Murray: Openly admitted afterwards he isn't on top of his game and his passing, early on especially, was a bit

wayward

5 Sweeney: Given a chance in his ideal role, free to play off the front two, but forced off on half-time with a groin problem

4 Horwood: Wing-back role should suit him no end, but never looked settled and given a hard time by Gareth

Ainsworth;

6 Poole: Had a couple of chances, drove one wide in the second half, but the reaction to his withdrawal was a bit over the top

6 Monkhouse: Flirted with the game at times both up front and out wide. Should have gone down for a penalty at 0-1

Subs:

Luscombe (for Sweeney 45): Tried to offer some drive and willingness in the midfield 6

Boyd (for Murray 61): Involved as Pools pressured the visitors and unlucky with a textbook overhead kick 6

Nish (for Poole 61): Manhandled by the back four and never got chance to make much of a mark 5

(not used): Rafferty (gk), Humphreys.

WYCOMBE WANDERERS (4-4-2): Bull 7; Basey 7, Johnson 7, Winfield 6, Foster 6; Donnelly 7, Lewis 6, Rowlands 6, Ainsworth 8 (Tunnicliffe 80); Strevens 7, Beavon 7 (Ibe 89). Subs (not used): Grant, Tunnicliffe, McCoy, Ibe.

MAN OF THE MATCH

GARETH Ainsworth - hugged the right touchline and his energetic display caused problems for Pools all day