WELL it wasn’t supposed to be like this. From the excitement of last season’s Great Escape right through the summer and into the first four winning games of this season, it all looked good for Hartlepool United.

Since then it’s gone downhill.

The last four games – against teams in and around Pools - were supposed to herald a healthy points return and set them up.

Instead a win at Dagenham was followed by a point with Barnet and two pitiful performances in defeats to Crawley and Wimbledon.

The next few fixtures for Pools aren’t very promising. After Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Cheltenham they face Orient, Mansfield, Oxford, Plymouth and Portsmouth – and they are all contenders right now.

The lack of confidence in the squad and displayed by some players is alarming. As soon as they shipped a poor opening goal at Wimbledon, heads dropped. The spark of pre-season camaraderie is no longer apparent.

Moore and the club’s hierarchy are finding it hard to make more new signings – it’s not for the want of trying that he’s being forced to field the same team with the same problems.

The manager, chairman and chief executive were deep in conversation at Kingsmeadow, raking over the coals of the display and seeking answers to the problems.

Midfield is an area of concern, there’s no bite in there, no-one willing to put a foot in and tackle the opposition.

How Moore needs an enforcer in there – he picked one out of the hat last season in Aaron Tshibola and seeks a replica.

Tshibola helped keep Pools up last season and it shouldn’t be coming to that again. However, more displays like recent ones and it will be the case.

Pools’ last two wins haven’t been convincing. They triumphed at Yeovil and Dagenham because the opposition were worse. Come up against a team with a bit of ability and energy about them and Pools struggle.

“I can only apologise for the performance, I’m trying to wonder what turns them on? Who will set us on fire? We conceded again, but we aren’t creating,’’ said Moore.

Even when they were losing previously they were creating chances. Not this time. They were as weak up front as they were in midfield – at least until Scott Fenwick was introduced.

He put himself about, stood up to the home defenders who could have played in their slippers such was the ease they controlled Billy Paynter and Rakish Bingham.

It’s time for him to start, just as it’s perhaps the time to change formation and go to three at the back. It kept them solid last season, and they need it something to change again.

Moore admitted: “I was pleased with Scotty when he came on, he hold the ball up well. But there was too many disappointing players out there, we have to do something about it. We say about bringing kids in, but at least you might get energy.

“Every set-play they are sending the big lads up and it’s asking for trouble.

“We have tried to make signings all week, we keep looking.’’

Big defender Magnus Okuonghae went off with a foot injury. He was poor in the 36 minutes he played and a wayward header led to the second goal.

He’s unlikely to be allowed to play by Luton in the FA Cup this weekend, and then has one more game left of his loan spell.

“We have to see how Magnus is, but he looked injured early on. Did he start like that? He wasn’t moving well at all,’’ said Moore. “We have to wait and see and he probably can’t play in the Cup next week.

“We ask the question, but we need something. People say get him, get him, but you need better than what we have got.

“We will replace players, but it’s about getting the right ones in. There will be an awful lot of people watching on Sky the week after it’s only one outcome to come on that performance.’’

The first goal came from a silly Dan Jones foul on the touchline, the free-kick curled in from the right by a left-footed player. As the defence dropped deep into the area, Carson was blocked from collecting it and one bounce took it in the net.

For the second, the defence was slack, Jones hesitating and allowing Kyle Taylor to volley in.

The Dons got a soft penalty, Tyler missed it and Carson kept out the follow up superbly well – one of many fine stops he made.

They can’t rely on him as much as this every week, as Cheltenham discovered last season.