PRE-SEASON and Ronnie Moore was a little bewildered by the defensive frailties of his Hartlepool United side.

Playing with three at the back and Pools were shipping goals galore. A flat back four saw a different outlook once the season started.

After conceding seven goals in their last two home games, Pools go to Northampton today needing a firmed up back line.

But Moore feels the collective difficulties in the summer have been replaced by a string of individual errors, which have proved costly, with Pools punished time and time again.

“Pre-season we had defensive problems and I feel it’s all down to errors from individuals in the back,’’ he admitted. “You can’t legislate for ricks. Players have held their hands up for the mistakes.

“We work so hard in training in defensive situations and they have taken it on board, but seven goals at home in two games in a week says something isn’t right.

“It was the whole team last Tuesday against Bristol when no-one played well and earned credit – against Luton we had some tremendous performances and it was hard to see we lost 4-1.’’

Moore has two loanees in his defence, Andrew Boyce from Scunthorpe and Bradley Halliday from Middlesbrough. Both are culpable for errors leading to goals in the last ten days.

The Pools boss is seeking an extra centre-half on loan and was close to landing one only for the deal to be pulled on Thursday by the players’ parent club.

Moore said: “We need a mouth in there, to talk, to keep Scotty (Harrison) right. Boyce should be louder, he’s a League One player who knows what it’s all about and we need to talk at the back.

“We’ve two young ones at full-backs and we need to see Jake (Carroll) come forward – he’s got ability and pace and we need to see it.

“I felt we had rode the storm with the back four and to a certain extent we have, it’s just down to individual errors, which we won’t get punished for all the time.

“It’s not happening yet with signing anyone, but we know the problems and we keep looking to get players in – on that front it’s been two weeks of hell. There’s a lot of young lads in there, a few 18 and 19 year olds we could gamble on, but we aren’t in that position to hope someone comes good and develops. We need experience, but that experience is difficult to get.’’

Moore has to decide today whether to pick Trevor Carson for the first time. Signed as his first-choice goalkeeper in the summer, Carson suffered a broken toe in pre-season. Adam Bartlett has started every game and impressed, but has shipped seven goals in the last two games.

Carson conceded three on his comeback game against Middlesbrough reserves in midweek.

"He's had one reserve-team game and we drew 3-3,’’ said Moore. "Do we throw him straight back in?"

"Adam has done fantastic, especially in the early games. There have been one or two little errors of late but everyone's made errors recently.

"It's a big decision, do we stick with Adam or whether we throw Trev in, I'll make that decision at the last minute."