Boreham Wood v Hartlepool United: John Askey focusing on positives as Pools look to bounce back from home defeats

John Askey’s side have slipped out of the top seven in the National League after a September which yielded just seven points from a possible 21 available to them – Saturday’s home reverse to Dorking Wanderers a fourth defeat in seven games.

Hartlepool’s inconsistency has been aligned with a number of injury issues in the opening months of the season, but Askey is hoping he can call upon one or two of those players to be back in the frame for the trip to Meadow Park as he looks for his side to kick-start their season once again.

"Hopefully we’ll have one or two more fit. Matty is still struggling but we’re just waiting on Alex and Kieran to see whether they’ll be back fit,” said Askey.

“It’s a game where we need to get back to winning ways.

“If we can do that it will be what we need at this moment in time to get back into the play-off positions and, hopefully, it will give us that confidence we need to kick-start our season again.”

Pools fans have been frustrated in recent weeks after seeing their side fall away from the top end of the table after the club’s positive start to the season, compounded by back-to-back home defeats against Solihull Moors and Dorking.

Askey admits he understands the frustration but has tasked his side with focusing on the positives as Pools go in search of what would be just a second win at Meadow Park.

"We’ve got to focus on what we do well,” the Hartlepool boss explained.

"You can sometimes get too down or concentrate too much on the errors. We know the mistakes that have been happening, and they’ve happened too often. It’s something we do work on, but we have to remember what we’re good at as well.

"So the message is that, and for us to try and go out and play and create chances.”

Askey could hand a start to Hartlepool’s returning midfielder Nicky Featherstone after the club’s former captain penned a short-term deal earlier this week.

Featherstone left the club in the summer having made 380 appearances for Pools but has signed a one month contract.