RITCHIE Humphreys and Hartlepool United suffered a rare feeling on Saturday - that of a defeat.

But, with five games to go, the defender is determined to make sure it's a one-off.

Victory over Accrington Stanley at Victoria Park today should be enough for promotion and Humphreys is keen to repay the fans.

Pools were backed by 829 supporters at Underhill and, with Victoria Park set for another gate in excess of 6,000 this afternoon, Humphreys is sure his team-mates can put Saturday's outcome down to a bad day at the office.

"It's a rare feeling, a strange one for us,'' he admitted.

"It's a long time since we lost a game, so it's a long time since we felt this way.

"It's horrible and we don't like it. It was the fourth of November the last time we lost in the league, it's a tremendous record which we can be proud of.

"Now we have to show our character - and we have showed plenty of that of late. We are at home and we know we have a massive job to do.

"Other results went for us - we are still in front and still ahead of the chasing pack. It's down to us, no-one else.

"And we want to bounce back and do what we have been doing well again.

"It's only a short recovery period for us - a long journey back home on the bus - and it's about getting the right fluids on board and preparing correctly.

"The support was fantastic, once again. It was great to see so many made the long trip and we all hope we can reward them soon.''

Pools were caught out by an early goal at Underhill and never settled into their rythym and, Humphreys admitted the infamous sloping pitch was not as easy one to come to terms with.

"As a team and on the whole we didn't start well,'' he said. "We let them get at us and what we have been doing in this run is getting at teams and imposing our game on them.

"It's the first time I've been to Underhill and it's not an easy place to play football.

"Their game plan is to get the ball in behind the opposition and they did that. The pitch is dry and it's bobbly, so playing football was going to be difficult.

"Every time you had a touch it could go anywhere.

"In the end we were doing to them what they were doing to us.

"We battled with them all day and the pitch wasn't conducive to our passing game.

"We did pull ourselves back into the game. Then we gave it away again, there was a bit of a lack of concentration. We allowed him to get across onto his better foot and shoot.

"It was a good finish, but we should have dealt with it better.''