Hartlepool United manager Ronnie Moore is confident a good performance can see his team get back to winning ways this weekend.

Pools travel to Yeovil Town hoping to register their first win in September after a battling draw at home to Cambridge United last time out.

Their opponents who suffered relegation in successive seasons, have began life in League 2 in similarly disappointing fashion under manager Paul Sturrock.

Following their fall from grace, Moore sympathises with Sturrock, though admits this can happen, such is the competitive nature of the Football League.

"It's a hell of a job for Paul Sturrock.” Moore said. "When you consider where they were and where they are now, it shows what can happen at a smallish club.

"They have been at great heights and while they are not now, I'm sure Paul will want to get them back up there.

"It's hard for them - I think they have ten players out injured - but when they are back, fit and raring to go I'm sure they will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Pools, six places and three points better off than their opponents will look to get back on track, and Manager Moore believes a positive attitude to the game will see them leave Huish Park with three points having faced some tough opponents and some familiar faces.

"We just have to go there, be positive, and play our game.” Moore added. "They got a great result at Crawley, not an easy place to go and win.

"We're expecting a very tough game.

"People say Paul's teams bang it, knock it long, but they have some good players.

"We know one or two of them. I had (Steven) Arthurworrey at Tranmere when he was at West Brom, (Ryan) Bird, (Jack) Compton, (Matthew) Dolan we all know about.

"But it's about us. Yes, show them respect, but if we go there and play to the best of our ability, it's a game we can win."

Pools four-match losing streak in the league will have reminded supporters of turbulent start to last season, as a desperate Pools were cut away from the pack.

Though having stopped the rot with last weekend’s draw with Cambridge at Victoria Park, Moore believes his side have learned from last season, and with positive performances and results already this campaign, the manager feels his team are stronger to cope under pressure this time around.

“Last year we lost games and we don’t want to see the club in a position like that – we’ve got better players in from that situation now,’’ he said.

“But we all think first few games, we are all off and running – fantastic. Then we can’t win and we lose games, but take the cup games out of it – we aren’t expected to beat Bournemouth and we drew with Sheffield United on 90 minutes.

“We know how close we have been in the games we lost. We were 2-1 up to Carlisle and lost it, we were 0-0 at Exeter, missed a penalty and conceded late – even at Stevenage we were always in it, conceded right on half time and then conceded chasing the game last on.

“There’s nine points we got away, we could have had seven of them even. No panic here, express yourselves and go out and play. We proved last week on a physical side we can go out and match teams – we did it with Cambridge last week and I don’t think there’s going to be many teams as tall and physical as they were last week.’’

Pools game at AFC Wimbledon on October 31 will take place at 2pm. The Rugby World Cup final takes place at Twickenham at 4pm that day.