Midfielder warns that it may not be third time lucky for relegation-threatened Hartlepool

The experienced campaigner knows that if Pools keep flirting with relegation year after year, eventually their luck will run out.

And he hopes, that even despite recent struggles, the players can turn their season around.

In recent weeks the dressing-room has come in for some considerable criticism after defensive capitulations at Port Vale and against Cambridge.

But, with Featherstone playing a more familiar defensive midfield role, Pools ground out a valuable point at Portsmouth.

And in doing so answered many of their critics, who claimed the players did not have the fight in them to stop the rot.

Featherstone accepts that fighting relegation for two years has been tough.

And he says Pools are keen not to do it again this time around, despite sitting just two points above the dreaded fourth tier drop zone at Christmas.

“The last two years have not been enjoyable,” said Featherstone.

“This year we felt we could be better than that. And the feeling among the players and at the club is that we still can be.

“We know exactly what we have to do. We just have to get our heads down and kick on.

“We are better than a relegation fight. Now it is our job to prove that.”