CHRIS BRANDON looked confidently to tonight's clash at Hartlepool and vowed: "We've got the ability in our squad to win it."
The 28-year-old midfield player knows victory against the play-off chasers would take Town past most poeple's safety mark of 50 points in League I.
It would also end a miserable run of seven successive away defeats and provide the perfect pick-me-up for Tuesday's big home derby with Sheffield Wednesday (7.45).
Brandon reckons Town are raring to go at Victoria Park after last weekend's 5-3 win against Stockport and the bonus of having four different scorers on target in Andy Booth, Pawel Abbott, David Mirfin and Adnan Ahmed.
"This season has been very frustrating because we've got the ability to beat anyone on our day and be up in the play-off positions ourselves," said Brandon.
"We just haven't produced the consistency to make that happen, but it doesn't mean we haven't got the ability in our locker to go up to Hartlepool and win. We have.
"At home we are doing fine at the moment, even when we have to dig in and grind out a result like we had to do against Stockport, and now we've got the chance to go away and test ourselves again.
"It will be a test, but we desperately want to end our losing run away from home and, if we get the rub of the green, then I don't see why that shouldn't be tonight."
Hartlepool won 2-0 in a televised match at the Galpharm back in August and are fifth in the table at the moment on 61 points.
They've lost at home only three times all season, too, and Brandon added:
"I rate Hartlepool as one of the better sides in this division.
"They are well organised and have good ability in all departments, but I've got 100% confidence in the lads that we can win this match if we play to our capabilities.
"On ability, we are among the best at this level as well, but we just can't seem to put it all together for a full 90 minutes and that's why we are where we are in the table.
"Sometimes, when you haven't won for so long away from home it gets into the back of your mind and you wonder when it's ever going to happen, but the important thing is that we continue to believe we can win every match.
"I don't think we've played as badly on our travels as the results would suggest - we just need a bit more luck - but it would be nice to put the record straight tonight."
Brandon would love to add to his five goals for the season but was delighted to see his teammate Ahmed grab a first career strike against Stockport.
"Adnan has been doing really well after waiting patiently for his chance, and we were all delighted he got that cracking goal," said Brandon.
"All the young lads have been doing fantastically well, though, when you consider you are talking about 17, 18 and 19-year-old lads.
"They are babies in terms of football at this level and yet they've all shown what tremendous ability they've got.
"I reckon they've got big futures in the game and they will all benefit from playing in these games now."
Hartlepool - Provett, Craddock, Westwood, Nelson, Robertson, Williams, Sweeney, Tinkler, Humphreys, Robson, Porter, Istead, Boyd, Clark, Strachan, Konstantopoulos, Howey.
Town - Rachubka, Holdsworth, Adams, Edwards, N Clarke, Mirfin, Brandon, Worthington, Ahmed, Booth, Abbott, Collins, Senior, Mendes, Schofield, T Clarke, Brown, Fowler.
Referee - Mike Pike (Cumbria).
