HARTLEPOOL United chief Chris Turner fired up his troops ahead of tonight's play-off decider with Blackpool and insisted: "Don't write us off.''

Pool start tonight's second-leg at Victoria Park two goals down after Sunday's first-leg and written off in many quarters.

But the Pool chief - who steered his side to fourth place in Division Three this season, four places and five points ahead of Steve McMahon's side - insists his side is capable of securing the win that leads to a final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on May 26.

Pool were outplayed at Bloomfield Road on Sunday by a buoyant home side, but with two League wins over Blackpool already in the bag this season, Turner knows his side are capable of overturning the disappointing scoreline.

After a record-breaking campaign that saw a 21-game unbeaten run propel his team into the top four, Turner is calling on his players for one more push tonight.

"Someone who watched Sunday's game said to me that we are still the fourth best team in this division because we finished there in the League and I know that this squad is, for 46 games over a season, equipped to do well,'' he said.

"What we need now is look at the squad and see how we can improve on that. On Sunday too many players had an off day and that in turn affected everyone.

"As a player, their pride will have been dented on Sunday and now they have something to prove to the manager, supporters and themselves - they can do it, they know they can and it is up to them to prove it.

"I believe we can beat Blackpool by two or more clear goals - we are at home and I know we will create chances and put chances away.''

Turner, however, knows Pool have to improve on Sunday's display, a game where they failed to muster a single chance on goal as Anthony Williams was peppered with shots.

"If I was Steve McMahon I would think that we are fortunate to be in it at 2-0,'' added Turner. "At half-time on Sunday I said to the players that we should have been four or five down - but we weren't and then the disappointing factor is that we handed them two goals.''

Pool have been accused by some of choking in the Bloomfield Road atmosphere and after calling on the Pool fans to turn Victoria Park into a cauldron of noise tonight, Turner said: "Being a player and wanting to play at a higher level you want to play in big games like this.

"These games are ones that as a player you should relish. I'm sure the crowd will help us along and I'm sure that the players can perform and we can beat Blackpool.

"Sunday was the first time there was nothing positive to take from it in a long, long time. The lads were all disappointed, but they are not disheartened.

"They know they didn't play like we all know they can and of course they will have been down for 24 hours after the game, but now they are buzzing again because they know they have something to prove and something to go for.''

Turner is set to bring player of the year James Sharp back into the starting line up, as well as 18-goal front man Kevin Henderson who has recovered from a groin strain.

"I think we have to make the most of James' strengths,'' said Turner. "But we won't be going gung-ho all out from the start - what happens if we leave things wide open and they get a goal?

"People talk about playing 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 but our system has served us well this season over 46 games.

"On Sunday Bolton were two-down at West Brom, kept their shape and their nerve, and pulled it back to 2-2.

"I have the players available to change things around if necessary. We need the fans to get behind us 100 per cent, but we also need them to be patient.

"If it is still 0-0 at half-time then we still have 45 minutes to score two goals and we are quite capable of it.''

Blackpool have been in this situation before, going into the second-leg of a play-off tie with a two-goal lead. In 1995, they beat Bradford in the first-leg only to lose 3-0 in the return and miss out on the final.

Pool striker Craig Midgley was part of the Bantams' squad that night. Pool fans have until 3pm to buy their ticket.

Team (from): Williams, Lee, Sharp, Barron, Westwood, Clark, Shilton, Tinkler, Stephenson, Miller, Knowles, Lormor, Midgley, Henderson, Easter, Fitzpatrick, Hollund, Robinson

Read more about Hartlepool here.