SAM Collins admits there is no hiding place for Hartlepool United.

Seven games without a win has turned a promising position on January 1 into an edgy one today.

Pools meet Colchester United at Victoria Park this afternoon and need to halt the slide and get back to winning ways.

Five successive victories propelled them up the League One ladder in December and, before they start looking over their shoulders too nervously, Collins and Co accept the need to stop the rot.

Tuesday’s 4-0 loss at Oldham – their second 4-0 reverse on the road in succession – highlighted the fragile nature of the side right now.

A lack of goals is a concern – Pools have scored only once in 508 minutes of football – and skipper C o l l i n s , L e a g u e One’s player of the month for December, u n d e r - stands the necessity to get back to doing the s i m p l e things.

“ W e ’ v e worked really so hard throughout the season and it’s gone to pot a little bit in these last few weeks,’’ he accepted.

“We started the second-half really well on Tuesday, but one ball up field and they scored from it. From our point of view it’s not good enough and all four of them were like that. We have to put a stop to it or we will get sucked into it.

“It’s a position and situation we have been in in the last two years and we don’t want it again. We need to regroup, get back together and get back to being the team we were and can be.’’ P o o l s ’ s e a s o n has, for the last two camp a i g n s , b o i l e d down to the last day when they have nervously edged to safety and s e c u r e d L e a g u e One status.

It’s a scen a r i o Collins is desperate to avoid again and s o m e h o m e t r u t h s within the d r e s s i n g room this week have, he hopes, gone a long way to getting things back on track.

“Let’s stick together and sort it out,’’ he said. “I’m sure Mick will have his thoughts on it all and have a chat, we all get together as a group of lads and be honest with each other and if someone has something to say, then say it.

“There’s no point in hiding, we need to find out and put it right now with 20-odd games to go, not another five or ten games down the line.

“We all can have our say, three or four of the lads will want to. Some of the lads are a little bit quiet and will say their piece if the manager is not there, then they might feel they want to say how they feel as well.

“It might be something we need to do, get together and have a chat. We’ve done it in the last couple of years and it can work for us.’’ Pools were controversially beaten in the corresponding game in Essex this season, the home side gifted an erroneous penalty.

Referee Oliver Langford handed The Us a last-gasp spot kick when the ball hit Peter Hartley outside the penalty area.

But Langford has since apologised and Collins admitted: “We owe them one for what happened down there.

To be fair to him, the referee we had against Notts County was the one who gave the penalty against us down there and he apologised to me, so fair play.

“But we need to stop this run now and get back to winning games. In the last few weeks, a few teams below us have had some good results and there’s no reason why we can’t do that again. We need to start it on Saturday.

“Obviously, confidence is affected by it and the way results have been. To put it right we have to get back to basics, do the simple things and keep things tight. As a defender clear balls and do the things we were doing – solid and organised as a team.

“We don’t want to be in a situation we have been in the last couple of years, do we?

And not especially after the way we have been six weeks ago. Everyone was talking us up and maybe we got a bit carried away and thought we were better than we were.

“We need to start this weekend and we played really well at Colchester, but came away with nothing. Those points dropped can make a difference and away from home it’s vital.’’ Collins has returned to action after suffering medial knee ligament damage on New Year’s Day and admitted he is not fully recovered from the blow.

“My knee isn’t 100 per cent to be honest, I’m getting there and I want to play,’’ he said. “If I felt it was detrimental to the team then I wouldn’t play.

“But I spoke to the physio and he said it was fine to do that.

“It will get stronger as I go on, I’m not trying to make excuses for the result and performance, I get by as games go and I’m fine with it.”