IF you have seen one Hartlepool United away defeat, you have seen them all.

In losing at Dagenham last night, the performance and outcome followed the script previously on show at Portsmouth, Bury, Shrewsbury and Wycombe of late.

Pools can start sharp, look solid for a while at the back, and appear comfortable. Then they concede, normally a soft one, then they aren’t good enough to come back into the game, and peter out without much spark.

Game over. It’s heading fast towards season over.

While they went into this game with the gap to safety at six points, with hopes of clawing it back to three, they ended it sitting seven points shy of the relegation cut off point.

Victories last night for Carlisle, York and Mansfield makes Pool’s task all the more harder. While other teams often pick up points, Pools only manage it sporadically.

With 13 games to go, Pools have a paltry 27 points. At a guess, they need another 20 to stand any chance.

With two away wins from home all season, the chances of getting anything on the road performing like this is bleak.

Ronnie Moore called for seven points minimum from three games this week. They started well with three against Wimbledon, and now need to beat Burton at Victoria Park this Saturday.

Moore emerged from the dressing room after a half-hour lock in last night.

He said: “You can’t perform like we did. The injury to their keeper has killed us, we fell asleep and from being in total control we switched off.

“This game was there to be won, if we ever had a chance to win back to back this was it.

“They are so inconsistent it is unbelievable. Give us some effort, some sweat. The fans came all the way to see it.

“Do one or two think they are better than they are? We cannot perform like we did second half. Hand on heart I felt this game was winnable – I smelt it when we came here.

“And we were in control first 20 minutes, weren’t under any threat.

“We huffed and puffed without really threatening when you need to be committed.’’

Pool start positively, full of energy and they took the game to the home side.

Aaron Tshibola, given a bit more freedom to roam with Nicky Featherstone sitting in behind him but failing to make the most of it, headed a Jack Compton corner at goal, but the ball bashed off the head of defender Scott Doe.

Pool had six first-half corners, but Jack Compton didn’t do anything enough with them all.

From one of them, home goalkeeper Mark Cousins clattered into a post and was taken to hospital.

It was expected – and hoped - his replacement Liam O’Brien would be put under pressure, but instead he was largely untouched.

Pools the deadlock on 22 minutes, but Scott Harrison scored at the wrong end.

Winger Ashley Hemmings sent over a tasty cross from the left, into the corridor of uncertainty between goalkeeper and defence.

Scott Flinders couldn’t come for it, and it was up to a defender to take responsibility. Harrison got there first and turned it past Flinders from eight yards.

When you are in such a precarious spot as Pools are, it’s the sort of thing that goes against you.

And when they concede, it’s as good as game over – as proved in the East End of London last night.

Daggers almost got a second as half-time approached, Hemmings crashing a close-range shot against the post from a corner.

Pools first shot of note came on 48 minutes as Ryan Bird fired a dipping volley at goal from 25 yards, but into O’Brien.

Jamie Cureton scored at Victoria Park as Daggers’ won there in September and last night he was always a threat. He roamed into space on the right of the area and fired low into Flinders.

And Pools went two down on on 66 minutes to a free-kick they could do nothing about.

Cureton was tripped 30 yards from goal. Midfielder Billy Bingham bent a majestic free-kick into the top corner.

A response? All Pools mustered was a low shot from substitute Marlon Harewood.

Moore concluded: “Do the players realise we are fighting for our lives here, to stay in the league? Play like we did second half Saturday and we win this one.

“Now we have to go again at home on Saturday. If they aren’t careful and many more performances like that we will be snookered.

“I can only apologise for that performance.

“It looked like an end of season game and we need to give blood, wear and tears and we didn’t do that today.’’