KEVIN Henderson admits he's had sleepless nights since Hartlepool United were promoted on Saturday.

But his insomnia isn't from looking ahead to spending next season in Division Two, instead he is haunted by the miss which may prove so costly to Pool's title ambitions.

The striker squandered Pool's best opportunity of the game at Scunthorpe, shooting wide of an open goal with the scoreline still blank.

Pool now trail leaders Rushden by four points and he confessed: "It has been on my mind ever since and I have not slept a wink, I feel terrible. From the second I missed I started thinking, if we had gone one-nil up it would have changed the course of the game.

"For the next five minutes I couldn't focus properly, I just kept thinking about the miss - for the rest of the game I wanted the ground to swallow me up.

"Straight after the game, my mind went back to it and I've been thinking about it ever since.''

The miss came on the day Pool marked promotion with a 4-0 defeat. And now, with the destiny of the League title out of their hands after Rushden won their two Easter games, Pool have to beat Shrewsbury on Saturday and hope Rushden slip up at Orient to ensure a title decider at Nene Park on May 3.

Henderson, given a standing ovation in the home game with Leyton Orient on April 12, was criticised by supporters before the Easter Monday game, grumblings which hurt the front runner.

"I have always had a good relationship with the fans, they and this club are part of my life, so it was stomach churning hearing them boo when the team was read out,'' he admitted.

"It was a horrible feeling and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My head really went down from that. They think it's big strong Hendo who can take anything but, if you know me, you would know that I do take things to heart and I am a worrier at times.''

Meanwhile, Ritchie Humphreys insists Pool's poor stint of results was inevitable after setting the Division Three pace all season.

But the player of the year is hoping the season ends in style. "We know we had a poor run of results, but we came out of it still top of the league. People have written us off, said that we had blown it and we weren't going up, but a run like that was always going to happen.

"No-one can go through a full season without a little bad spell like that and now we have got two games to give it our all and come through with some success."

Pool's Easter weekend was hardly the party is should have been and both manager Mike Newell and his players came under fire from fans.

And with a memorable programme coming to a close, Pool want to see Victoria Park turned into a celebration zone on Saturday. Supporters are asked to buy their tickets in advance.

* Coventry trial-list Rory Higgins played the full 90 minutes for Pool's reserves last night in their 0-0 draw at Hull.

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