Dave Challinor gives his thoughts on National League final standings and points-per-game decision as Hartlepool United miss out on a play-off place

Pools sat ninth in the fifth tier table when the season was suspended and subsequently cancelled back in March.

Earlier this month, National League teams voted to decide the campaign on a points-per-game basis and allow the promotion play-offs to go ahead behind closed doors.

That saw Hartlepool drop to 12th in the table, confirming their highest finish in the National League and best position in any league since they were promoted from League Two back in 2007.

Dave Challinor’s side had been flirting with a play-off position after an upturn in form in 2020.

But the cancellation of their final seven league matches ultimately denied them the opportunity to potentially secure a top seven place.

Challinor had no real qualms over the manner in which the season was concluded given the circumstances. Although, he did admit his side would have felt more hard done by had they not dropped points in their final two matches against Ebbsfleet United and Sutton.

“We were one of those teams who weren’t going to be hugely impacted if the season wasn’t going to continue with its games,” Challinor told The Mail.

“We’d have loved to have played the back end of the season because we’d given ourselves an opportunity to get into those play-off positions.

“I think I would have been a lot more disappointed if we’d won our last two games before lockdown against Ebbsfleet and Sutton.

“I think if we'd managed that then we’d have potentially missed out on the play-offs by 0.03 of a point and it would have been very hard to take if that had been the case.

“It wasn’t the case and we were in a position to vote without a whole lot of self-interest.

“We put forward our opinions, as everyone did, and the way they decided to go falls in line with the Football League which I think is important and rewards sporting merit for the three-quarters of the season that had been played.”