AS their chief executive and honorary president are walking 26 miles a day in aid of charity, Hartlepool United’s footballer took a giant step to Football League safety.

Russ Green and Jeff Stelling have spent eight days walking a marathon a day for Prostate Cancer.

Their march ends tomorrow evening at Wembley Stadium after setting off from Victoria Park last Monday morning.

If spirits were flagging and their legs aching, their team has given them a massive fillip in winning at Leyton Orient and putting 14 points – and a far better goal difference - between themselves and second-bottom York City.

The Minstermen have won six all season; they aren’t going to catch up Pools, who are up to 17th in League Two, six games unbeaten and kept four successive clean sheets.

“Russ and Jeff were low on Sunday I have to say that. Hopefully this result will give them a massive lift. Tuesday is day nine and get through that and it’s all plain sailing for them,’’ said Pools boss Craig Hignett after he and the team stopped off in the midlands en-route to Orient on Sunday.

Goals from Billy Paynter and Nathan Thomas secured the win at Kevin Nolan’s play-off chasing side.

One team has sights on the top seven this season and one has been looking over their shoulders, Pools looked more like play-off contenders at the Matchroom Stadium.

Hignett said: “I’m delighted with the lads, we kept a good shape and the discipline of the side was fantastic.

“We scored two really good goals and overall to come to a place like Orient, who are pushing for a play-of place and play like that I have to be delighted.

“We know what we are doing as a team, four clean sheets in a row and I did toy with the idea of changing it, but the lads have earned their shirts and their energy levels were fantastic.

“I’ve got lads on the bench who are desperate to play and I wouldn’t hesitate to play them – the quandary for me now is do I play them and give them a chance, or see how high we can get?’’

Now up to 17th in League Two, Pools can enjoy their last ten games. Last season it took until game 45 to achieve safety, this time they can relax.

With Matthew Bates and Adam Jackson immense in the middle of the back four, and the high energy and work-rate of the rest of the team not giving Orient a chance, this was a controlled performance.

When the defence was breached, Trevor Carson was in goal to make two fine late saves.

Pools had an early worry after Nicky Featherstone lost possession and home striker Armand Gnanduillet lifted over the bar.

As they forced four corners in 90 seconds, they never threatened from any of them. Jackson, match-winner on Good Friday, earlier headed another flag-kick wide.

But his best work is at the back and Pools kept another clean sheet. It’s 417 minutes since they conceded and they last enjoyed four successive shut-outs in January 2005.

Jackson stuck to Jay Simpson on the edge of the penalty area and blocked the shot, Luke James did the same minutes later.

Pools went in front when a flowing move brought Billy Paynter’s 13th of the season.

Lewis Hawkins won possession and passed diligently for Jake Carroll to press ahead.  He linked up with Luke James and took the return pass, looked up and picked out Paynter, attacking the space in the penalty area to finish confidently.

The skipper already had a header ruled out for a marginal offside call on half-time, when he thumped home a Thomas free-kick.

Hawkins teed up Thomas for the second. Similar in nature to his goal at Barnet earlier this season, he took the ball on the right side of the area, cut inside and smashed a confident finish through keeper Alex Cisak.

From then on, Pools never looked like giving it up.

“Since I’ve been here it’s been drummed into them that we are a team, we are in it together and if there’s set-backs then it doesn’t matter and we carry on doing what we are doing,’’ added Hignett, who must be the March manager of the month.

“The way we are playing and the system we are playing, we will win games. The quality on top of that will shine through and it did today.

“We have always looked up the table, it gives everyone a lift to move up to 17th. It’s hard sometimes to look at the table, but I’ve said to them look how far we can go and how high we can go.

“Now we are on this run, we keep pushing and see how far we can go.’’