CRAIG HIGNETT has one eye on next season, but won’t allow his Hartlepool United players to ease off during the current campaign.

Pools go to Oxford this afternoon, the Us in third place in League Two. After defeat at home to second top Accrington on Tuesday, Hignett wants a response.

Last weekend’s win over York at Victoria Park was fairly routine, but Hignett was a little disappointed his players eased off when the visitors were down to ten men.

After making five changes to his starting XI in midweek, the boss is highly unlikely to do the same today and it’s the players who impressed last month likely to make up the team this afternoon.

"Everything is geared to next season. When I came in, the first task was to make sure we were safe -we did that and now the next job is to build the club,’’ mused Hignett.

"I know where I am in my mind, I think, but the season does not end until Plymouth on the last day.

"I will be looking and assessing right up until that last game.

"We've known from about nine games out that we're safe, not mathematically, but it was obvious we were safe.

"It's nice they can go out, relax and enjoy their football, I want them to go out and express themselves.

"Football should be fun, they should enjoy it.

"I'd love to have something to play for, I'd love to be going for the play-offs, but we're not. But we have a big say on who goes up, all the teams we are playing are going for promotion.

"I want good performances to show where we are as a club and for me to see what we need to do.’’

Stanley’s win on Tuesday put them behind runaway leaders Northampton.

Today’s opponents and Bristol Rovers are chasing the two remaining automatic promotion spots.

Oxford’s home form is inferior to their away results – with eight home wins and 13 on the road.

They’ve only won two of their last nine – both 4-0 wins against Dagenham and York – and have a rack of injuries to contend with this afternoon.

At odds of 8/1, Hignett’s side appear to be decent value and the Pools boss hopes to pray on any edginess about Michael Appleton’s side.

He said: “You could see what victory meant on Tuesday for Accrington, who celebrated like they have won the FA Cup and that’s what it means to people and it should matter.

“There will be jitters in the games to come, if we nick a goal early and the crowd get anxious it makes a difference in this division.

“More often than not first goal shapes a game – score it and you go on and win it.

“We started quickly at Morecambe, scored twice and the whole outlook was different. Then against York, we started well, scored and they have a man sent off. The players perhaps thought it was going to be easy and it’s not like that.

“Accrington we didn’t show the urgency or energy – we didn’t start well and get on with it, but that’s my fault for changing a lot.

“I would never pick out any individuals, it’s a team thing and as a team we struggled.’’

He added: "Oxford have had a great season, even though they were beaten by Barnsley at Wembley in the JPT.

"They are a good footballing side with good individuals. They will play football, Michael Appleton wants to play football.

"But I've said all along, it's not what other teams do that bothers me, it's how we approach things and how we play.

"If we're right and on it, we are a match for anyone in this league and I mean anyone.

"To do that we need to have the right attitude and mentality.’’

Pools will hold their end of season awards night at the Grand Hotel on Wednesday, May 4.

The squad, management and chairman will be in attendance, with a number of honours handed out, including the Michael Maidens Goal of the Season award.

Tickets are on sale, £10, which includes pie and peas, from the main reception at Victoria Park.