Hartlepool United-Aldershot Town: Leading scorer happy to have

Pools play host to seventh-placed Aldershot Town at Victoria Park tomorrow, having clocked up 1,480 miles on the road over the last couple of weeks.

After a 2-0 win at Torquay United, Pools have exited the FA Cup at Morecambe (3-0) before drawing 0-0 on their return to National League action at Boreham Wood.

Leading scorer Jonathan Franks said: “It’s nice to be back at the Vic.

“It’s good to have two home games, we have to go out and try to win them, we’re looking forward to it.

“But we must concentrate on Aldershot before we can even begin to think about Halifax [on Tuesday].

“It’s a big game, they are only two points ahead of us

“It’s a good opportunity for us to get within touching distance of the top teams.”

Pools would leapfrog the Shots with a win tomorrow though whether they reach the top seven would be dependant on other results.

Gary Waddock’s team though are the division’s top scorers, having clocked up 31 goals in 19 matches, so they will be a threat.

“They are a dangerous side,” said Franks.

“But we’ve got to go out there and do our job, we’re the home team, we’ve got to take the game to them and try to get all three points

“I’m sure the fans will be behind us, the supporters have been brilliant.

“Hopefully we can give them something to shout about.

“We’ve been picking up points away but we’ve got a couple of home games now and we’ve got to try to pick up maximum points .”

Franks admits the form at Victoria Park has not been good enough and they must turn more draws into wins.

Since a surprise home set-back to Eastleigh back on September 23, Pools have played seven National League games , winning three and drawing four.

“Definitely,” said Franks when asked if Pools need to improve their results at the Vic.

“We’re probably drawing a couple of games too many.

“We’re on a good run though, just one defeat in the last 13.

“Home form is crucial and we need to improve that, we’ll be doing our best tomorrow.”

The high percentage of draws, seven, is clearly something which is weighing on the mind of Franks, though he says confidence remains as strong as ever.

“The atmosphere is good but at the same time there is frustration that we’ve picked up draws in games we could have gone on to win,” said the six-goal forward who says winning tomorrow will be vital to their hopes.

“All in all, the mood is quite positive.

“Anyone who says they don’t look at the table is lying

“It’s really tight, one win can make a difference, beating Aldershot is a great opportunity for us.”