MORECAMBE last April, and a win brought joyous scenes of celebration as Hartlepool United fended off the threat of relegation.

Victory this time around won’t make Pools safe, but at least it gives them hope.

After messing up their last chance of back to back victories when they failed so miserably at Dagenham two weeks ago after a win over Wimbledon, Pools cannot slip up when they go to Oxford tomorrow night.

The gap to safety is back down to six points. Can they really take it on a step further and claw it back to a touchable three?

If they show the same commitment, desire and application as they did at the Globe Stadium then they will have every chance. And how interesting would that make back to Saturday home games to come?

There seemed a real determination and acceptance from the camp that not only was this win so vital in keeping their hopes alive, tomorrow’s game is now even more imperative.

Too often this season, watching Pools away from home has devoid of excitement. This performance had it in spades.

Three changes and an altered system from the previous week worked, with a 3-5-2 set up solid and fluent.

They had extra bodies in defence when they came under second-half pressure, in midfield Aaron Tshibola and Nicky Featherstone had their best games in a long time and looked happy alongside the returning Brad Walker.

Up top, Jonathan Franks chased and ran at the defenders with drive and purpose.

Boss Ronnie Moore said: “We were committed and we need it again Tuesday, it would be nice to have a week before the next game and enjoy this win. We are ok one week, then not. But we have got the gap to six points again and we have given ourselves a chance.

“We go and put ourselves through the whole thing again – we are dead one week and then we are alright.

“We have given ourselves a chance. Worst scenario on Tuesday – we don’t get beat, but we won’t be going there holding on 0-0 we want to go and win 1-0 again – or two or three nil.

“The clean sheet is big for us, it’s been along time away from home bit it’s different people and different people and it was important to do it.’’

It was just over a year since Scott Flinders and Co enjoyed an away day clean sheet. While they may have been a tad fortunate this time, it was down as much as anything to putting in an honest shift.

Flinders commanded his penalty area and in front of him Scott Harrison dominated. The three towering headers he won inside the box during the six minutes of added on time said everything about his performance.

In Pools’ two most recent wins, they’ve had to see off a total of 18 minutes added on time. And, while this one was a bit more scary than previous against Wimbledon, they relished the extra pressure.

From the off, with Michael Duckworth up and down the left flank like a whirling dervish, they never stopped.

The goal came when Featherstone split the home central defenders with a long pass forward for Ryan Bird.

The loanee looked like he could have clipped it at goal, but centre-half Andy Parrish nipped in first to push it beautifully into the corner for the net. Bird could not have placed it any better.

And from then on, while Bird had an effort knocked off the line when he skirted around goalkeeper Andreas Arestidou, it was about workrate and application.

Honesty aplenty, everyone played their part. Flinders made saves, Featherstone cleared off the line, Mirfin and others flung into challenges to block shots.

If only they could do it every week. This was just their third away win of the season. That’s 11 points from a possible 56.

“We were committed – Never Say Die – and that’s the type of performance I want from my players, that’s my type of team, battling, giving their all when it is tough,’’ added Moore.

“Sometimes it’s not pretty, but it doesn’t matter how we play at this moment. Playing that way we got that little bit of luck and I said that they have to remember the feeling and what it means because we have another tough one on Tuesday.

“We have in the past closed the gap in on teams and then let ourselves down and it’s gone back up again, this time four off Tranmere, six off Cheltenham and anything is possible.

“We would have frightened one or two teams with that result.’’