HARTLEPOOL United are hoping their promoted players can finally start to celebrate promotion tomorrow.

Pool entertain Shrewsbury in their final home game in Division Three after securing promotion last week.

But their achievement has yet to be marked by many fans, who have seen their hopes of winning the title taken out of their own hands.

Pool hope Orient can avoid defeat to Rushden tomorrow, which could mean a title decider at Nene Park a week tomorrow.

And Pool yesterday called on supporters to pack Victoria Park tomorrow to show their appreciation for the players.

Skipper Micky Barron admits the shine has been taken off their achievement, but now hopes any anxiety among the supporters can be put to bed - and insists the pressure is now on Rushden.

"Tommy Widdrington said to us that we should enjoy it, because you don't get promoted very often,'' he admitted.

"For some of the lads it might never happen again and for some reason ours has just been taken away from us a little bit.

"Obviously it is out of our hands now - but why can't we still win it? All we can do is win on Saturday and see what happens.

"The way Rushden have been playing of late means everyone will expect them to go there and get three points.

"They are on a great run and have timed their run at the right time.

"It's in their hands now, not ours, so perhaps the pressure is on them a little bit now.''

He added: "It's disappointing that although we still have a chance of going up as champions, the situation is now out of our hands.

"We want to go into the last game trying to win the championship, with everything to aim for.

"It's disappointing that what has happened has really taken the edge off being promoted and it's sad the way some of the fans have reacted in the last two games.

"Of course, everyone at the club, the manager, the players and the fans want to win the title and the reaction on Monday is upsetting.

"It was the same on Saturday - perhaps you can understand when you get beat 4-0 it takes something away from it, but we got promoted and the way some of the players were in our dressing room you would have thought we had been relegated.

"Some of the lads were really down, on the floor, and on Monday I spoke to some of the Rochdale players and they couldn't believe what sort of reaction there had been.

"Let's hope that everyone can forget about Scunthorpe and the defeat there and get behind us for the last two games. Who is to say that in a little over a week we won't be champions?"

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