Tuesday evening sees County return to National League action, as we make the journey north to take on former Football League rivals Hartlepool United at Victoria Park.
Saturday’s FA Trophy victory over Guiseley at Edgeley Park was a positive reaction from Jim Gannon’s side the frustrating defeat suffered at the hands of Notts County last Tuesday, a result that left County 10th in the National League table.
Tuesday’s game is one of several games in hand we have on the sides above us, however, and three points on the road would see us fly up to fourth in the League table, within ten points of leaders Torquay with three games in hand.
For our hosts, a penalty shootout defeat at Halifax in the Trophy on Saturday extended a pretty miserable run for them at the moment, with a 3-0 defeat at 10-man Woking in their last league fixture sinking them into the bottom half of the table in 13th.
They will however go into tomorrow’s game knowing a win would see them leapfrog the Hatters in the table, as they currently sit just one point behind us, having played three games in hand. Even this early on in the season, the stakes are high.
Our Opponents:
Hartlepool are now in their fourth straight season in the National League, as their 96-year stay in the Football League came to an agonising end on the final day of the season in 2017.
After two bottom-half finishes from the Monkey-Hangers in their first years back in non-league, the side again stumbled out of the blocks last season, and a 2-1 defeat at Edgeley Park in October spelt the end for manager Craig Hignett.
At that point in the season, the Pools sat in 16th place 16 games in, four points above the relegation zone and four off the play-off places with their season on a knife-edge.
Caretaker manager Antony Sweeney oversaw an immediate improvement in results with three wins and a draw in his five games in charge, before the Club moved to hire former County player Dave Challinor, who had only left AFC Fylde a month earlier after eight years in charge at Mill Farm.
It was a case of slow but steady progress under Challinor, with big away victories at Yeovil Town and Chesterfield early on catching the eye – as did the sides run to the Third Round of the FA Cup, knocking out League Two Exeter City on the way before finally succumbing 4-1 to Oxford United – despite Mark Kitching giving them an early lead in that game.
Back in the National League, and with the finish line in sight the side retained realistic ambitions of reaching the play-offs, a 1-0 win over Solihull Moors in March leaving them outside the play-offs on goal difference.
Unfortunately for them, defeat at home to Ebbsfleet United was followed with a 1-1 draw at Sutton United, meaning they finished the premature season in ninth place, three points and two places below County.
Going into this season with plenty of optimism despite the loss of top scorer Gime Toure to Carlisle in the Summer, the men from Victoria Park made an electric start to their campaign, winning their first three games to sit top of the table early on following a 4-0 win away at Maidenhead.
Since then though, it’s been tough going for Challinor’s side, with just two wins in their subsequent 10 league games, including a 5-0 home defeat to leaders Torquay. The side have won just twice at home this season, against Aldershot and Kings Lynn, and have currently stalled talk of a potential promotion tilt.
There is still plenty of time, however, and the recent loan signing of Luke Armstrong, son of County legend Alun, looks to have given them a boost. No player has scored more than twice for them in the league yet this season, but the Salford striker matched that tally on his debut in that victory over Kings Lynn a few weeks ago.
With so much to play for early on in the season, this game promises to be another blockbuster encounter in the National League with a huge three points at stake, as County look to kickstart that climb back towards the top.
Match Facts:
- These two sides have met 135 times in competitive action, with County having the historical upper hand – 56 wins to Hartlepool’s 47.
- County will be looking for a first win at Victoria Park since August 2009, where Tommy Rowe scored a stoppage time winner for Jim Gannon’s side.
- This game will be County’s fourth successive league fixture away from home. The Hatters haven’t lost successive away games since September 2019 (a run of three at Chorley, Boreham Wood and Solihull).
