THEY might have moved nine points clear of the drop zone after a morale-boosting win at Cambridge on Tuesday night, but Dave Jones has warned his Hartlepool United side they cannot afford to take safety for granted.

Michael Woods’ second-half winner ended a five-month wait for an away win, and enabled Pools to open up a healthy gap to Newport and Leyton Orient in the two relegation places.

Today’s home game with Wycombe Wanderers provides an opportunity to create even more breathing space, and with Pools having scored seven goals in their last two outings at Victoria Park, optimism is high.

Jones has been delighted with his players’ efforts in the last few weeks, but having spent more than two decades in management, the much-travelled boss has been around the block enough to be aware of the danger of complacency. Things are looking much better than they were a month or so ago, but the job is not done yet.

“We’re not safe, far from it,” said Jones. “We need to try to get as many points on the board as we can to get away from the clubs below us.

“We know we have a lot of hard work in front of us and we are carrying a small squad at the moment. It’s vital the players keep believing and pushing on and getting better. The expectation levels will grow and more demands will be placed on them, but why not start now?”

Having taken a month or so to get to grips with the squad he inherited from Craig Hignett, Jones is satisfied with the resolution his players have displayed in their last few outings.

Whereas his side was wide open in the early weeks of his reign, they now appear much more defensively secure, and tightening things up all over the field has clearly been a key priority.

Tuesday night’s clean sheet was only Pools’ third since Christmas, but Jones feels his players are heading in the right direction in terms of their organisation, commitment and team shape.

“The home form has been good and that is a reward for the hard work we've put in,” he said. “We’re not a team that rolls over too easily now.

“We need to earn the right to play and that's what will be emphasised to them. We must make sure we don't rest on our laurels or switch off. It’s important we are ready and focused to do battle against another good side.”

Jones has accepted Billy Paynter will miss the rest of the season, with the striker having undergone surgery on a long-standing Achilles problem earlier in the week.

Paynter underwent a series of painkilling injections in an attempt to get through to the end of the campaign, but Pools’ medical staff were forced to admit defeat and send the 32-year-old striker for an operation.

There is better news when it comes to Carl Magnay, with the defender having returned to training after recovering from knee ligament surgery.

It was initially feared Magnay would miss the whole of the season after rupturing his ligaments in mid-September, but he featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday as a young Pools side went down 4-2 to Nike Academy at Maiden Castle.

Jones was delighted to see Magnay back in action, but will be treading carefully when it comes to restoring him to the first-team ranks.

“He’s played against Nike Academy, so it’s not been full pelt,” he said. “But the good thing is he’s got through 45 minutes.

"He’s ahead of schedule, but he’s got to be careful. He's had an injury that needs time to heal in the right manner.

“Mags will be given as much time as required. The last thing you want to do is to push someone back earlier than is recommended and then he picks up something else.

“Over the last six months he’s not been using muscles he needs to use in football, so he needs time to get back. I’ll be guided, completely, by our medical department.”

There are unlikely to be too many changes from the side that triumphed at Cambridge, with Jones hoping to reach mathematical safety as quickly as possible in order to get an opportunity to loosen the shackles before the end of the season.

“Points are what we need at the moment, and the players be trying their hardest to get them on the board,” he said. “I think if we get to that safe zone, you will then see a different team. There has been a lot of weight and pressure on the young shoulders.”