Altrincham manager Phil Parkinson expecting tough test when his side travel to Hartlepool United

The Robins will arrive in the North East on a remarkable run of nine games unbeaten which has seen them climb into the National League play-off places. It's been a hugely positive week for Parkinson's side, who drew away at Oldham in midweek before edging past Gateshead on Saturday. While Pools are set to play the third of three home games in a row, all of Altrincham's last three matches have been on the road.

Parkinson has done a superb job since taking charge of the Robins in 2017, leading them from the Northern Premier League to the top end of the National League. Altrincham finished fourth last season but had been expected to find things more difficult this time around after losing talismanic midfielder Chris Conn-Clarke, who scored 22 goals in 46 games last term, to League One Peterborough. However, following some shrewd summer business, including the capture of former Pools midfielder Tom Crawford, Altrincham have enjoyed another successful campaign and are well placed to finish in the play-offs for the second season in a row.

By contrast, an unwelcome run of just one win in their last seven games has left Pools with a mountain to climb if they're to sneak into the top seven; in all likelihood, Anthony Limbrick's side will have to win nine of their last 14 games to stand any chance of securing a play-off place. Yet despite their poor form of late, Parkinson is expecting Pools to provide a tough test for his side on Tuesday evening.

"Two trips to the North East, Hartlepool are a contrasting team to Gateshead," he told Altrincham's official club website.

"As much as we've got a very strong squad, we've got a very young squad. Our average age was just 24 against Gateahead.

"Going to Hartlepool, they're a really experienced team, a bit like Oldham. They'll pose us different questions, particularly from set-pieces. We're going to have to be really rock solid on that and hopefully we can have a happy journey to the North East this week, because it isn't always the case."