HARTLEPOOL United are lacking much-needed confidence ahead of their visit to York City on Saturday, according to manager John Askey. 

Askey returns to his old club on Saturday after guiding York to promotion from the Vanarama National League North in the 2020/21 season, and is now in charge of fellow Vanarama National League outfit Hartlepool.

Hartlepool currently find themselves in 13th position after just one victory in their last nine matches, including a 2-0 defeat to Chester in the Emirates FA Cup.

Askey admitted that his side need a result on Saturday, after suffering a 95th minute equaliser last weekend in a 2-2 draw with Ebbsfleet United.

"We need results. We’re at that stage of the season where it doesn’t matter how you play, it’s about getting the three points,” Askey told the Hartlepool Mail.

"We can’t keep conceding goals and I keep saying it over and over again. We’ve got to find a way of winning. At the moment we can’t.

“There’s no use me going in there and keeping on shouting and screaming. There’s one or two in there who are struggling at the moment with confidence.

"When you’re struggling with confidence you have to fight harder and you have to run harder and one or two have to realise that.

"It only comes through encouraging them really, and letting them know that you can’t play well every week and when you’re not playing well then you have to give something else to the team.

"That’s the secret as to why some players play week in, week out and why some players have careers where they’re in and out.

"We’ve just got to come in and go again and see what we can get out of the York game.”

Club captain David Ferguson will be missing for the clash after accumulating five yellow cards, but hopes the Poolies can find a way to stop conceding goals in front of the travelling supporters.

"Not every game is going to be a perfect performance but what we can do is not concede, which we’ve struggled with all season, and as a team that’s where we need to be better,” Ferguson told the Hartlepool Mail.

"We need to score two or three goals to try and win a game at the minute so it’s pretty tough.

"We’re working on stuff and something needs to fall for us, but it will change.

"Everyone just needs to stick together like we’re trying to and it will change for us.

"We’ll work on stuff for York next week (Saturday, November 18, 3pm), we know there’s a massive following so we need to make sure we put a performance in and I know everyone will pull together to put a performance in.

"Fans pay their money and they come and expect a performance.

"It’s like what it says on the back of the shirt; never say die.

"The minimum is hard work, especially at this club.

"But it will change, we will put it right and what a way to put it right when there’s a big following coming to watch us.”