PADRAIG Amond admits Hartlepool United need a quick fix.

Defeat to Portsmouth on Saturday and a win for Newport means the gap to the relegation zone has been reduced to five points, as Cheltenham jumped over Pools with a victory.

Dave Jones’ side sit third bottom with six games to go and Pools have three key games approaching, starting at Morecambe on Saturday before the Easter programme with Carlisle and bottom-placed Orient.

"We need to shape up very quickly, if we are not careful, five points can easily become two points,’’ said Amond.

"We are getting dragged in so we need to shape fast and make sure we go to Morecambe and get a result."

Pools were against an in-form and confident Pompey side at the weekend and Amond added: "It was hard for the team.

"The second half we started quite brightly and we had that shot that hit the post.

"If that went in then we were in the ascendancy, but that sort of summed up our season, it hit the post, came out and then they went up the other end not long after to score.

"We conceded a couple of sloppy goals and it's a bad day all-round.

"They managed the game a lot better than us.’’

He added:

"Whether they are better technical players than us, I don't know, but they are where they are for a reason and we are where we are for a reason.

"You could see they are a team who are going to win promotion, there are no doubts about that.

"They will be in League One next season and we have a fight on our hands to make sure we are still in this division next year.

"They came to win the game and we were trying to win it, obviously, so that led to it being an open match.

"We needed to get the first goal, to get everything going our way.’’