DANNY Wilson is demanding a positive reaction from his players tonight.

After slumping 2-0 to Cheltenham in their last outing on Firday night, Wilson won't stand for anything near the same when Southend visit Victoria Park.

The Pools boss labelled the performance the worst of his time in charge, while warning his players - who haven't won since December 15 - the threat of relegation looms.

Pools have dropped from the edge of the play-off race to the verge of the relegation scrap and Wilson warned his patience is wearing thin.

"The other night was a turning point, but you always have to have belief in your players,'' he said. "I've said before we are not Leeds who can go out and buy ten players we have to work with what we have got - but I don't mean that in a detrimental manner because we have some good players at the club.

"At the start of the season we were playing well and people were talking about the play-offs or top two and now we are in the other direction. Let's see how we handle it - it's alright getting pats on the back, it's when you get kicked in the bollocks and how you react what matters.

"Chelenham - both result and performance - was a major kick in the nuts. I hope the players look over their shoulders because we can get dragged into it.

"It happened at this club two years ago: 'don't mention the R-word'. Bollocks to that we are in a scrap, but two or three wins can bring you out of it - and that's not beyond us.

"On the other night's performance it looks beyond us, but that was a one-off it wasn't the real Hartlepool United, we are better than that and I don't think we'll see that performance again.

"If one or two are in a comfort zone, then you hope they have snapped out of it.''

Wilson is likely to recall Jamie McCunnie tonight, after right-back Eddie Nolan yesterday returned to Blackburn Rovers after making 12 appearances in two months at Victoria Park.

McCunnie started the season as first-choice right back, but lost his place to loan signing Danny Coles, Ali Gibb and latterly Nolan as he was moved into a central midfield role.

He's made 19 starts this season, but has not played since the FA Cup loss at Hereford in December after suffering a knee injury.

But he's trained over the last week and is likely to be one of a number of changes to the side. Matty Robson, Joel Porter and Antony Sweeney pressing for recalls and Wilson has insisted he won't allow his players to perform as poorly again.

"How can those players lack confidence?'' he said. "It is the same group of players who started the season playing so well, I don't think they can be lacking confidence.

"What they may be lacking is a bit of belief and when they concede goals like they are then it's difficult. But it's not just the defenders, there are little areas all around the pitch we look at.

"We are not winning the tackles and that allows opponents to come at us, we are not holding the ball well enough up front like we can - little things start to accumulate.

"Then we concede and we cannot come back, sometimes we are expecting the opposition to score.

"You can't single out defenders all the time, there's a lot of soul searching to do.''