Former Football League rivals face each other on Wednesday night, as County return to Edgeley Park to face Hartlepool United in front of the BT Sport cameras.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides since the 2009/10 League One season.
Hartlepool are currently 15th in the league, two places and two points ahead of County, and one place ahead of where they finished last year in 16th.
Manager Craig Hignett has come up against County numerous times as a player, scoring against the Hatters twice, once for Middlesbrough and once for Blackburn Rovers, both in the old First Division era.
He also featured in both games for Middlesbrough against County in the 1996/97 League Cup semi-final, but this will be his first encounter against the Hatters as a manager.
On Hartlepool’s books is former County favourite and academy product, Michael Raynes, who signed for Pools from Crewe in May this year, after an initial loan spell at Victoria Park.
The Wythenshawe-born centre-back played for County between 2004 and 2010, making over 150 league appearances for the Hatters.
A number of Hartlepool’s players have featured against County, including goalkeeper Ben Killip for Lowestoft Town and Gus Mufata for Salford City.
Ryan Donaldson featured at Edgeley Park for Gateshead in 2012, where he scored and got sent off in their 2-1 victory.
Last season, Aaron Cunningham featured for Blyth in their 3-2 win against the Hatters before Jim Gannon’s men went on the 16-game unbeaten league run.
Jason Kennedy also played at Edgeley Park in the 2006/07 season twice, once for Bury and once for Boston United, in County’s 2-0 win to start the famous nine-game winning streak.
Wednesday will be Hartlepool’s first visit to SK3 since 2009, and they will be looking for their first win at Edgeley Park since 2003, as the Hatters look to build on Saturday’s draw at Sutton and get a vital win in front of the County faithful and the TV cameras.
