RONNIE MOORE accepts the pressure is mounting on his Hartlepool United players after three weeks without a Football League game.

While Pools have four games in hand on some sides at the bottom of the table, they have slipped to fourth bottom after an unprecedented mid-season break.

Pools lost to Derby at Victoria Park in the FA Cup last weekend, but have not played a league game since Plymouth beat them 2-1 on December 19.

Games with Notts County, Carlisle, and Newport were called off because of the conditions, leaving Moore and Pools watching other results coming in to see where they ended up.

Wycombe Wanderers visit Victoria Park today, a team who beat Pools at Adams Park earlier in the season and who have beaten Pools nine times in their last ten meetings.

Pools last win over the Chairboys came when Ritchie Barker headed Danny Wilson’s side to promotion in 2007.

Moore said: “Wycombe are going well again, we know how well they have done and only lost twice away from home. There’s no easy games though, we have to not fear anyone, shot respect but play like we did against Derby and do that and we will be alright at this level.

“We ran Plymouth close the other week too. Our last two games we have been the best side fro a long time in both of them. We just have to make sure that the concentration level is there as we have lost those games to late goals.

“Hopefully we will get more goals and if we stay right and play like that we have nothing to fear.’’

One of their re-arranged games is next Tuesday at Accrington and Moore added: “We’ve not played for a while and the results have put extras press on us. I have four in hand, but it’s no good if you don’t win or take point from them – it’s so vital to get back to winning ways, sooner the better.

“We have a lot of games to come, a lot of midweek games and as a player I would rather be playing Saturday – Tuesday than not. It takes away your training sessions!

“We have four games to fix up and play and if we can get two or three more new signings in then it gives us the chance to rotate a few. It’s rare to play the same side Saturday – Tuesday – Saturday when you are playing so many games in such a short space of time.’’

Pools this week signed Nathan Thomas from Mansfield. The left-winger returning to the North-East after he left Sunderland to sign for Plymouth before ending up at Field Mill via Motherwell and two loan spells at Darlington.

He could start this afternoon, although the 4-4-1-1 formation and personnel involved impressed against the Rams.

“There’s still one or two long-termish injuries, Carl Magnay another ten days or so, Paynter and Duckworth the same,’’ said Moore.

“We are down to the bar bones, but give the same as last week and we will be OK.

“Derby was solid and all we did was good, as well as we have played in a while and it was a different system, which worked.

“We were upset we didn’t get at least a draw.’’