Hartlepool United attackers Joe Grey and Anthony Mancini edging closer to returning from injury
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Lawrence provided an update through the club's official YouTube channel, announcing he was taking a step back from his role as manager in favour of head coach Anthony Limbrick. The veteran, who replaced outspoken former boss Darren Sarll in October, will take over as assistant. Lawrence has helped transform Pools from a side low on confidence and sliding down the table into one that has become difficult to beat and still harbours slim hopes of making the play-offs. Pools won five, drew eight and lost three of Lawrence's 16 National League games in charge.
Limbrick, who has managerial experience with the likes of Woking, Welsh champions The New Saints and Gibraltar's Manchester 62, inherits a side in a far better place than it was three months ago.
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Hide AdThe 41-year-old, who becomes the first Australian-born manager ever to take charge of Pools, has made a favourable impression during his three months as head coach. However, he also faces a raft of challenges, not least his side's faltering recent form. Pools have failed to win any of their last four games, three of which were against teams in the bottom half of the table, and have scored just three goals in that time. If Pools are to have any chance of resurrecting their play-off hopes, then they'll have to make a fast start to Limbrick's tenure.


Although Pools have made three January signings, welcoming Reyes Cleary on loan from West Brom, paying an undisclosed fee to Harrogate Town for Sam Folarin and securing the services of Jamie Miley from Newcastle on a permanent deal, there's still a sense that something is missing from the squad. That is perhaps because of two big-name absentees, with both Joe Grey and Anthony Mancini sidelined with groin problems. The pair were both in fine form over the festive period, with Grey scoring three times in his last seven appearances and Mancini dazzling against Oldham on New Year's Day. Pools have struggled without Grey's pace and direct running while Mancini's invention and ability to produce something out of nothing have been a big miss. Pools proved unable to make the most of their man advantage against Woking, who played almost an hour with 10 men after Chinwike Okoli was sent off, while they missed a host of gilt-edged chances in Saturday's draw at Braintree.
Yet Pools do not look set to be without the influential attackers for too much longer. Grey, who underwent surgery at the beginning of January, returned to light training last week while Lawrence confirmed Mancini is edging closer to a comeback. Although the trip to Sutton is set to come too soon for the pair, Lawrence is hoping Mancini will be back in time for a run of three home games in seven days, with Grey not too far behind him.
"Joe's running, so he's making the progress that we hoped he would be," he said.
"He'll be back in around three weeks I would think, Joe.
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Hide Ad"Anthony Mancini, hopefully, will be back a bit earlier than that. He didn't have an operation, it was just a strain. I'm hoping that he would be available, Anthony, for one or more of those home games.
"I can't see either one of them being ready for Saturday."
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