AS he trudged away from Kenilworth Road, Ronnie Moore wondered if their time was finally up.

After finally escaping the bottom two relegation places, Hartlepool United were doing their best to fall back into the bottom two.

A 3-0 defeat at Luton two weeks ago was the sort of performance and result Moore thought, and hoped, had been consigned to past; the sort Pools regularly put in during a season of utter misery.

With two games to go after finding four successive wins from nowhere, they had reverted to type.

But instead, the Pools boss dragged them over the line when it mattered. Pools beat Exeter at Victoria Park, Tranmere and Cheltenham both lost and went down. The relegation issue was all resolved in Moore’s joyous favour.

Pools now go to Carlisle this afternoon safe from relegation. The 2,500 travelling fans can embrace the day instead of dreading it.

“Last Saturday was a fantastic feeling, that eventually it had been done,’’ reflected Moore. “There’s got to be a time when you doubt it... will it ever happen? The only time for me was after Luton – I was concerned we got what we needed out of them and we needed one more game.

“But they came and rallied and we all had a fantastic day – couldn’t’ be happier if we had won the league and I’ve done that at Rotherham so I know.

“I hope the players can bottle it and make the most if it, especially those younger players who want to be around the club next season.

“That’s what it’s like – not to be in a position we were in – but to be in a position where someone like Wycombe are, that’s where we want to be aiming for.’’

The scenes at Victoria Park last weekend, players and supporters celebrating with gusto, were unprecedented.

Moore said: “The fans here are brilliant. The scenes were incredible. The fans have been brilliant since I came here, bottom of the table by eight points and the like and to get 3,500 in here every week is tremendous.

“The emotions and feelings for the fans, you could see what it meant for everyone.

“For me, it’s up there with the biggest things I’ve achieved, as high as it can. Keeping Rotherham in the Championship for four years and I didn’t think it could be bettered but to come here, to see what we had to deal with, and achieve what we set to achieve is brilliant.

“But it’s not about me – it’s down to the backroom staff too, every one of them have done their part and most importantly it’s the players who have done it.

“The players got us in this mess in the first place, but they got us out of it too.

“The loan players have all made an impression and changed the mentality of the players who were already here.

“I’m the manager, so I get the pats on the back, but it’s down to the players.

Today’s game is, in effect, one without pressure. There’s nothing riding on it, other than the desire to head into the summer on a positive note.

Moore will hand a first start to midfielder Nelson Eddy-Abby, recently signed after impressing Moore on trial, and the boss said: “But it is nice when there is no pressure, it is very rare in football.

“You are tempted to mix things up, Ebby will certainly play.

“Where he plays and what shape I don’t know at the moment. Dan Jones won’t play as he need an operation on his wrist and if we don’t get him in now then he will miss pre-season.

“He has to have that done. I was going to play 3-5-2, but we are short in the centre back positions.

“There is food for thought but definitely Ebby will play. I don’t think there will be too many other changes.’’