HARTLEPOOL United could have been going into tonight's game at Hull with automatic promotion at stake.

But after back-to-back defeats, Pool's hopes are as good as over and Neale Cooper's side now need the points to reach the play-offs.

Hull and Luton are clear in the top two places and Pool's reverse at Stockport was followed by last Saturday's surreal 6-4 defeat to Wrexham at Victoria Park.

Aussie striker Joel Porter was one of the few plus points from the game, according to boss Cooper.

His two goals took his seasonal tally to 13 and Pool's strike force of Adam Boyd and Porter now have 34 goals between them this season.

And Pool will be relying on the pair at Hull's KC Stadium tonight.

Hull won at Tranmere on Saturday to put them 11 points in front of Pool and, in front of a 20,000 crowd tonight, Pool cannot contemplate a third successive reverse.

Porter said: "Saturday wasn't our day, simple as that. None of their goals were special, everything fell kindly for them.

"We've had two results we definitely weren't expecting. But we still have 12 games to go and are in a much better position than we were last year.

"We made the play-offs last season and there is no reason why it won't happen again this season.''

Pool have lost thee of their last five League One games, but went on a nine-game unbeaten run before that and Porter added: "There are two very big games coming up this week and with Hull winning at Tranmere it makes Tuesday all the more important for us.

"We need to close the gap on them and, if we do that, we can go further ahead in the play-off places.

"It's a massive game - and it's the same on Saturday with Tranmere. It's not the way we wanted it, going into these games on the back of two defeats.

"But we know we have the pedigree and the players to put these defeats behind us.

"Against Stockport we played poorly as a team, it certainly wasn't a good performance. Against Wrexham we played some really good football, especially in the second-half to get back into the game and draw level again.

"We can put it down to another bad day - but perhaps a different kind of bad day to last week.''

* Tonight's game is all-ticket for away fans and Pool's ticket office is open until 5pm. There are no tickets available on the turnstile.

* Hugh Robertson is in Scotland to have his long-standing foot injury checked by a specialist in Aberdeen.

Read more about Hartlepool here.