DENIS Behan isn’t one to mince his words. If things aren’t going well the Hartlepool United striker isn’t afraid to say so.

After being thumped 4-0 at Victoria Park by Carlisle on Tuesday night, the Irishman wasn’t in such a jovial mood.

"It's as plain as the nose on your face that we have to shut up shop,’’ he insisted after Pools took the number of home goals conceded to a staggering 15 in five games.

Pools yesterday made their longest haul of the season, as they face Plymouth at Home Park today.

Maybe an eight hour trek to the south coast isn’t ideal after their previous game.

But Behan, set to be the lone forward in Pools’ 4-5-1 set up this afternoon, believes the opposite.

I think we are lucky in a sense that we have an away game,’’ he said. "It gets us away from here, we stayed overnight and have had a chat and we can come back positively against Plymouth and that's what we need.

"Eight hours on the bus won't be good for my back, I was struggling last week with my back but luckily the physios have done quite well with me to get me back.

"On the bus going down we will have a bit of fun but we are quiet and we will have time to reflect.’’

Wadsworth insisted in the aftermath of Tuesday that he wasn’t worried about today’s encounter, claiming recent history showed his players would react well to the humbling.

And Behan, whose only goal this season came in the JPT win over Northampton last month, added: "Mick said he isn't really too worried about Plymouth because away from home we are better and after getting a beating like Carlisle we do come back stronger.

"But the thing is we shouldn't have to do that.

"Getting beaten four and 5-0 at home isn't good enough. I think we are making chances.

"Against Walsall we might have had two or three more and against Carlisle we could have had two or three.

"I think we just need a little bit of a rub of the green to change our luck, but then again you shouldn't have to score five goals at home to beat a team 5-4.

"Maybe it might take goalless draws for two or three games just to get us solid to push on.

"If it takes that it's a long season and so be it.

"We are playing Plymouth away, one of the best teams in the league, so it's going to be shut up shop, be strong at the back and we will take whatever we get.

"Obviously when you are at home you don't want to do that, but if it takes that for two or three games to get us going again I've got no problem with it.’’

Behan started last season well, to the extent previous boss Chris Tuner claimed he could be the new Bob Newton, in referring to his bustling style.

But he’s struggled with injury and form in the last 12 months and watched from the sidelines as his teammates battled against relegation this season.

An up and down start to the season this time around has left many fearing a similar season to the last three.

Behan, however, insists he can see the potential in the squad and admitted: "It's been up and down but I like this club and I like being here.

"I think there is so much potential that's not fulfilled here yet.

"The players that we have, if everyone clicks we can be frightening at times with the way we pass the ball.

"Carlisle wasn't one of those nights.

"If you said to me at the start of the year that Southampton would have gone eight hours without scoring I wouldn't have believed you.

"It's a funny league - Carlisle and Brighton wouldn't have been tipped to be where they are.

"It's going to be up and down and the thing is if we do shore it up and start playing to 80 or 90 per cent of our maximum every game we will be very hard to beat.’’