SAM COLLINS was in charge for Hartlepool United’s last Football League victory; now he has been entrusted with the task of getting their next one.

Paul Murray was sacked from his job as Pools boss on Saturday morning, hours after their humiliating FA Cup exit to Blyth Spartans on Friday evening.

Collins led Pools to a 2-1 win at Exeter on October 11, a week after Colin Cooper walked away from the club. In the nine games since, Pools have only won once, a first round FA Cup victory over East Thurrock United, and took a point from a draw with Newport.

Pools have lost three successive home games, 3-1 to both York and Wycombe, and then Friday’s humbling which brought Murray’s departure.

Mick Wadsworth was sacked on December 6 2011 and Pools are now seeking their fifth permanent manager in only three years.

After the game, Murray admitted when asked about his side’s unnverving inability to turn out for the second-half of games: “If I knew what it was down to I would be telling them.’’

It was an honest assessment, but one which has brought his downfall.

Collins spoke with chairman Ken Hodcroft on Friday evening and over the last couple of weeks the club’s hierarchy started to express doubts about Murray’s appointment.

After seven games and 44 days in charge, Murray departs as Pool’s shortest-serving manager, eclipsing John Duncan’s nine game, 73-day reign in 1983.

Murray was paired up with Willie Donachie to form a management team despite never working together before. Both applied for the manager’s job at Victoria Park, with Murray offered it ahead of the Scot and informed he would be his No2.

The manager, who left his position as No2 at Oldham Athletic for the Pools job, admitted in the early days of his tenure he was trying to do too much and needed to delegate more to coaches Donachie and Collins.

Donachie, however, appeared a distant figure recently. He watched the home defeat to Wycombe from the press box and sat in the seats, away from the manager’s dug out on Friday evening.

Murray was allowed to make eight signings in his time at Pools, but the same problems remain within the squad.

After the home defeat to York, Collins admitted: “I think the majority of what we have are an honest group, 80 per cent of what we have got are people are trying, caring.’’

And captain Scott Flinders, while stating that Friday was his lowest point in football, hinted at issues within the dressing room.

“The lowest of my career. That’s how this season has gone, whether it’s luck... for me it’s professional footballers showing a bit of character,’’ he reflected.

“At the minute we haven’t the characters in the team.

“We had a long chat in the dressing room, it’s lads stepping up to the mark. We were here last season against Morecambe when we needed a result. The players on that pitch showed character when we went a goal down and had ten men.

“We showed character that day, the odds were against us and we were struggling for results and we need that sort of fight to get us out of this rot because this is rock bottom right now.

“It comes down to a lack of confidence. In that dressing room we have good players, but putting the ball in the net creates confidence and we aren’t putting it in the net or keeping it out of ours – it becomes a struggle.

“We came in at half-time and the lads were really buzzing. We showed energy, Marlon was brilliant holding it up.

“Going into the second half it’s like a switch. They get one and the floodgates open. It was the same as the home game with York – it’s down to the characters in the dressing room at the minute.

“The goal we scored wasn’t brought up in the dressing room – we have other things to worry about.

“There’s only one way up. We need to show character now. We are a lot better than this, the only way is up.

“We need to put this right and give it back to the supporters as they don’t deserve this at all.

“It’s down to the players. We are prepared brilliantly to go and face battle. We did homework on Blyth, everything you could think of. It’s about being brave on the ball.

“As soon as they get a sniff, their confidence goes up and ours the other. We were struggling when they got a lift.’’

Some of Murray’s signings have been poor when Pools needed a massive boost and increase in quality. Adam Campbell, on loan from Newcastle has looked out of his depth, while centre-half Matteo Lanzoni was utterly awful against Blyth.

However, such was the state of Pools’ squad he inherited from Cooper, a raft of quick signings were essential and, while he did land some targets, he was left frustrated in attempts to land others.

Collins is likely to be given the job. He was overlooked in favour of Murray in October, although a number of experienced and out of work bosses have again been linked.

Craig Hignett, who left his position as Pools assistant boss in March last year for a coaching role at Middlesbrough only to depart Boro last week, is a contender and could form a managerial duo with Collins.

However, Hignett’s stock is high following two impressive coaching stints and, with Pools in such a precarious position, he is naturally wary the threat of relegation: “I was very happy at Pools and working alongside Colin but I got a job I could not turn down.

“I have got to weigh up what is right for me. If I am going to take the next step it has got to be the right one for me.

“It’s early days for me, I have only just left Boro a few days ago.

“Football is my life, it is all I have known, and it is what I want to do, so I have to think about things very carefully.’’