HARTLEPOOL UNITED’S victory in front of the Sky cameras last Sunday led to Leyton Orient’s defeated players being punished with a week-long hotel stay – and Ronnie Moore thinks it’s “crackers”.

The Pools boss could not believe it when he learned how Orient’s owner Francesco Becchetti, who was at Victoria Park on Sunday and it is understood was in the visitors' dressing room before the game, had ordered manager Ian Hendon and his team, plus coaching staff, to head for the Marriott Hotel in Waltham Abbey on Sunday on their way south from Victoria Park.

Becchetti made the bizarre decision after watching Pools claim a 3-1 win over the O’s, who have only managed to win two of their last 12 matches, and instructed Hendon to carry out his demands.

The Italian businessman, who also made the squad train for an extra ten days after relegation from League One last season, has allowed the Orient squad to visit family in their spare time but they are asked to return to the hotel. They have been travelling to their Chigwell training ground, which is only five minutes away, by coach.

Hartlepool boss Moore, whose side are preparing to face Mansfield on Saturday, said: “It's nice for us to win the game, obviously not so nice for Leyton Orient, who have been locked up in a hotel, sounds crackers."

Orient boss Hendon can understand the decision, however strange it may seem.

Hendon told TalkSport: “I’ve just dug my way out, it’s taken me three days!

“But on a serious note, the results haven’t been what they could - and should - have been.

“We got back on the bus after the defeat to Hartlepool and the owner called me and said he thought it would be a good idea to take the boys away for a few days, and it happened that night.

“Everyone thought we’d been taken away and we couldn’t see our families, but that wasn’t the case.

“It’s literally ten minutes from the training ground, it’s allowed us a bit more time on the pitches together. It's not an army camp; there’s a gym and swimming pool at the hotel, so it hasn’t been a punishment.

“We’ve just stayed in a lovely hotel for a week and the lads are fine, they’re happy. They haven’t been under lock and key, they’ve been able to go home and then come back so we can sit down and eat together.

“It’s the Italian culture more than anything else and I think the lads have embraced it. They’re happy, they’re smiling and we’re now concentrated and looking forward to the game on Saturday against York.”

While Orient were frustrated by the result at Victoria Park, Hartlepool will look to use the first league victory in four matches as an opportunity to build ahead of the trip to Field Mill.

Mansfield occupy a play-off place and Hartlepool’s players will know Mansfield will be another tough test, but they will have to cope without striker Billy Paynter again. The experienced front-man has an Achilles tear.

Moore said: “Billy will be a miss – he is a miss because he’s a leader with seven goals, a big chunk of our goals. On Sunday we coped without him, but the sooner he is back the better.

“With two wingers putting balls into the box then all of a sudden we have the excitement of wingers doing the right job.

“Billy will be a big gutted he’s not going to be able for a few weeks yet to get on the end of crosses.

“Everyone else will be fine – we won’t be far off the same squad and subs we had last weekend. And let’s hope at the end of the week we are closer to the top seven than the bottom two.”

Right-back Michael Duckworth is Pools' major doubt after having to be stretchered off against Orient with a severe case of cramp.