THERE’S a big weight lifted off the Hartlepool United shoulders; now they need to ensure there’s not a collective groan in the weeks to come.

Rakish Bingham has long waited for a goal, he had not scored since the opening day of the season until Saturday.

But if his team-mates don’t improve dramatically at the opposite end of the pitch and come out of their next four games with a healthy return, the season could become an uneasy one.

For all the talk of last season being put to bed and how Pools would move on from their problems, things aren’t quite going as planned.

One win in 11 – a scrappy one at that – leaves Pools floundering. They never win at Northampton, not since 1969 anyway, but they have to get a decent return from their next four – at Dagenham and then at home to Barnet and Crawley before going to Wimbledon.

If Bingham can apply the finishing touch in the games ahead like he did at Sixfields then they will have a good chance.

He could have had five against Luton last time out, he should really be in double figures this season.

Played in by Michael Wood’s raking ball, he was in on goal and, when Adam Smith came racing out of his goal, Bingham’s clever touch saw him ghost past the keeper.

Faced with an open goal, there was a look of fear in his eyes as he rolled the ball into the empty net. He need not have worried.

The worries, for Ronnie Moore, are at the other end of the pitch.

The managed said: "I'm pleased for Bingham, he took a lot of stick the week before but he kept going.

"We showed a bit of faith in him, I was pleased the way he took the goal.’’

Bingham admitted: “It was a difficult chance for me – you’ve seen them missed on occasions, people think they are easy chances, but with an open goal you have to keep your composure.

“Once I went around the keeper I was confident and knew what I had to do.

“As it left my foot I didn’t realise how close the covering defender was, but it had enough.

“I had chances against Luton and the keeper made saves. I know on a personal note I should be putting those chances away – I am my biggest critic and I know I should be putting chances away.

“It’s good to score again, confidence comes naturally for a striker and I am a confident player. Even if they aren’t going my way I will keep going and get in the right positions. This time it fell for me and I’m delighted.

“It’s a relief for me to score, a big one because I’ve had chances to score. Hopefully I can keep getting into those positions and put those chances away.’’

Pools have conceded nine goals in three games. It’s no exaggeration to that eight of them could have been avoided, defending riddled with individual errors.

Luton’s injury-time strike from 25 yards aside, simple and routine mistakes have been punished.

At Sixfields, Pools started terribly. Marc Richards had already sent a free header wide by the time he tapped in on four minutes.

Bradley Halliday was exposed on the right, Andrew Boyce played the Cobblers onside and a low cross was converted.

Boyce managed to send a free header over from close range, and Pools soon trailed when a corner curled directly in.

Bingham’s composed finish got Pools back into the game when they really had no right to.

But in the second-half it was too tame form Pools going forward. Smith didn’t have a save to make in the home goal.

Moore will again chase a new defender this week, one with experience and nous. With Michael Duckworth back in training, he will replace Halliday after his month on loan expired on Saturday.

The manager admitted: "It's not easy to score goals at this level, though other teams seem to find it easy against us.

"Look at the goals. I'd love it one day to be able to say we've been done by a fantastic bit of football.

"We are being beaten by goals we really should be stopping. Their striker shouldn't be on his own for the first goal.

"Our centre-backs and keeper shouldn't be getting bullied from the corner.

"We need to man up, we should be doing better - but if you are not an aggressive person you can't all of a sudden become one.’’