RONNIE MOORE is expecting a physical game today against Cambridge; their manager Richard Monday insists that’s not necessarily the case.

Hartlepool United last week were beaten by Exeter, this week they face the Us. Different styles, different outlooks.

“Last week was a nice footballing game, now people think Cambridge are long ball and bosh, bosh, bosh. But they now play more football and you have to defend against their threat,’’ said Moore.

“Our back four have to dominate an awful lot of those long balls.

“We are together in the table, a tough game and they k now it won’t be easy and will have had us watched last weekend and will know we didn’t deserve to lose and played well last weekend.

Money, however, who was irked last season when Pools wildly celebrated victory over his side as momentum built towards the Great Escape, insisted: “We can be a big team on certain days. We try to make sure we're physically equipped to deal with people that are good at set-plays or rely on that type of thing.

"If Ronnie's analysis people and scouts have said that's what we're about then they haven't watched much of us. They've probably watched a small microcosm or part of some performance and then made that conclusion.

"People are entitled to their opinion. It doesn't bother us and we know what we're doing.

"People talked about Tony Pulis' teams for years being long ball, and Tony lapped it up because he realised that no-one really knew what they were doing.’’

Whatever Pools are confronted with this afternoon, they need to halt their losing run.

Four wins in a row at the start of the season in league and cup has turned into six successive defeats – four of them in League Two.

Last weekend they looked set for a point at Exeter, but conceded the only goal in injury time to lose 1-0, after missing a second-half penalty themselves.

Regular spot-kick taker Billy Paynter should return to the side today after hamstring trouble.

Moore added: “It was disappointing, but the week hasn’t been too bad. It’s poor how the game ended and I’ve not felt like that for a long, long time.

“We had a point and lost it and it’s soul destroying. They were low after the game, which is what you expect, but they are ok now and played some good stuff against a really good side.

“I’d love this weekend to come off playing awful and with a 2-0 win.

“We keep going and prepare. We slept from a throw in in the last 30 seconds last week, we said before concentrate for 90 minutes. It’s hard to do that and seldom happens.

“But we slept, simple as that. We had possession, and gave it away.

“We couldn’t moan or groan at them and we haven’t. We showed them a lot of good parts from last weekend. The penalty, if it goes in, we win the game.’’

Pools are back at Victoria Park three weeks after throwing away an advantage against Carlisle to lose 3-2.

Defeats at Wycombe and Exeter have followed, although Moore is sure there’s signs of improvement and an end to the run.

“There’s no ill-feeling here. We have been unlucky in games. If we keep playing and giving what they give then it changes,’’ he insisted.

“You cannot continually lose games playing that way – it changes.

“Football is about pressure from playing, to coaching to managing. I’ve been in the game long enough to know and understand how to handle it. The lads have been fantastic.

“I let them know when they’ve not been so good and let the know when they have done well. We keep going and all games are tough, all tricky.

“I can’t wait to win a game! We had a tremendous start, three wins, four defeats. Win on Saturday and it’s play-off form – carry on like that through the season and it’s 69 points! But I wouldn’t like it to be like that and all or nothing all season to be honest.

“But we have to keep going and make sure we put the wedge in and stop losing games, see them out. Every point is precious.

“We can go on a winning run just as easy – at this level it happens. Five wins, five defeats. It’s the way of League Two.’’