Hartlepool United attacker Jermaine Francis calls for front foot approach ahead of visit of rivals York
Hartlepool United attacker Jermaine Francis has vowed to take the game to York when Pools host the Minstermen on Saturday.
Pools are looking to end a run of four games without a win at Victoria Park against a York side who began the season as strong title favourites but have endured a mixed start to the campaign, sacking popular manager Adam Hinshelwood after just four matches this term and suffering a disappointing defeat at home to Scunthorpe last time out. Despite their indifferent start, York will surely begin Saturday's game as favourites and are still expected to challenge for promotion this term having appointed former Wealdstone and Notts County boss Stuart Maynard as their new manager. The Minstermen finished second last season but missed out on a return to League Two despite amassing a whopping 96 points after losing to Oldham in the play-offs and flexed their considerable financial muscles over the summer to strengthen an already stacked squad, signing the likes of Ash Palmer and Ollie Banks, National League title winners with Chesterfield, Mark Kitching, part of the Latics side that won promotion last term, influential Altrincham attacker Alex Newby, Mansfield midfielder Hiram Boateng, Gateshead skipper Greg Olley and Joe Grey, who is set to return to Victoria Park for this first time since his summer departure. With a wealth of talent already at their disposal, including last season's top scorer Ollie Pearce, it's little wonder that York, who begin Saturday's game in eighth, are still many people's favourites to be crowned champions this term.
For Pools, meanwhile, there is increasing concern that their play-off hopes are beginning to slip away following a miserable run of just one win in their last nine matches. Having made a strong start to the season, picking up 10 points from their first four games, Simon Grayson's side have started to falter and slipped down to 11th following a 3-1 defeat at the hands of rivals Carlisle, another of the favourites for promotion, on Wednesday night. Things don't look like they're about to get much easier for Pools, who lost goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright, the outstanding performer so far this season, to a thigh injury in midweek while the likes of Reiss McNally, Alex Reid and Tom Parkes have all been struggling for fitness of late. To make matters worse, versatile defender Cameron John, who has started all of his side's first 13 games so far this season and has been the most impressive outfielder this term, is ineligible to play against his parent club. With a whole host of absentees and doubts, Pools could well be forced to field a patched up back line against one of the division's most potent attacks while a lack of goals continues to plague Grayson's side.
One man who is capable of injecting a bit of spark, energy and creativity into Pools is Grenadian international Francis, who scored his second goal of the season against Carlisle in midweek. Even so, the lively 23-year-old was criticised by Grayson after missing a gilt-edged chance 30 second into the contest in Cumbria, failing to beat goalkeeper Gabe Breeze after a smart dummy by Danny Johnson had sent him through on goal. Despite that, Francis, who scored eight goals in 30 games during an impressive loan spell at Braintree last term and made five substitute appearances for title winners Barnet, has made a decent start to his Pools career and there are many fans who will be looking to him to provide some much-needed inspiration on Saturday.
"We just need to move on, we've already forgotten about it," Francis told the official Pools club website following Wednesday night's defeat to Carlisle.
"We need to win on Saturday, that's the most important thing. We're at home, we need to take the game to them as well. We need to go back onto the training ground, we need to make sure we take the game to them and I'm hoping that we do."