FOR SCOTT Fenwick, Tuesday was a sleepless night.

The Hartlepool United striker, back in the side after a seven-week injury-enforced absence, was presented with a last-gasp chance to earn three crucial points against Accrington.

Neil Austin’s low angled cross was as inviting as they come; Fenwick got on the end of it, the Town End started to celebrate, Fenwick connected... but the ball skied high over the bar.

Fenwick, with four goals in six games before his ankle injury, should have buried it.

And he admits as much: “I am beating myself up because those are the chances that I thrive on but I caught it too well.

“I was so disappointed afterwards because I get a lot of my goals from that position.

“If someone had said any amount of money on a bet, Scott Fenwick back post 93rd minute I would put it in - I expect to put that in and just saw it rise, I was gutted.

“I won’t stop thinking about it and probably won’t sleep properly, plus my dad will batter me for it!

“It bobbled and just bounced in front of me and my foot is in the air and instead of hitting my studs, it’s the other side.

“It hit the inside of my boot and went over – duff it and it’s in.”

Pools now go to Luton on Saturday, with three games remaining they are one point above bottom two Tranmere and Cheltenham.

But Pools have taken only two points from 12, after previously taking 12 from 12. Victory last night would have gone a long, long way to staying up and how thankful they were for Marlon Harewood’s header on 80 minutes to draw level.

With three games to go, the scrap is going to go down to the final game – when Pools go to Carlisle United, who are the team directly above Ronnie Moore’s side with four points more.

“Everyone will take a point, it is better than nothing at the stage we are at,” Fenwick admitted.

“Its’ nice to pick up a point and we are still out of the bottom two.

“It doesn’t matter what the others do, if we win then we are OK. We need to keep going.

““It was just a shame the way we started the match because the first half was just like York away, side to side, no tempo and nothing going forward.

“There was nobody smashing into people to get that tempo up – that is what you need because we are fighting for our lives.”

Fenwick enjoyed the physical battle with Stanley defender Lloyd Jones, renewing acquaintances after the pair tangled at Victoria Park in early January when the Liverpool man was on loan at Cheltenham.

The Pools striker was out to ruffle him up and admitted: “Their centre-half fancied himself a bit so I thought If I could get in his head, I could wind him up.

“If you get inside his head he will foul me, then he will get booked and then he is more interested in telling you how much money he is on and that he plays for Liverpool – and I don’t care.

“At the end, he lost me at the back post and I just wish I could have put it in and I would have give him a cheeky wink at the end.”

Fenwick is now pressing for a start at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, with his bustling presence a key element for Pools attacking prospects.

He admitted: “I’ve had six weeks out watching, it’s killed me. I was trying to keep the mood going in the dressing room – we had own goals and a penalty and I was telling them all they’ve not scored, but I feel fresh now.

“There was a time when it looked like we felt it would be season over for me, but I managed to battle back and the rest has paid off.

“The reserve game the other week helped me and I was surprised how fit I was – I’ve looked after myself when I’ve been out.’’

Tickets for Saturday’s game are on sale at Victoria Park until 2pm today – and none are on sale on the day of the game. The match is all-ticket.