Hartlepool United boss describes FA Trophy clash against Anstey Nomads as "a great opportunity" to kickstart winning run
Hartlepool United manager Nicky Featherstone has described Saturday's visit of Northern Premier League Division One Midlands side Anstey Nomads as "a great opportunity" to kickstart another winning run.
A Pools side who have never before played at Wembley Stadium will be looking to banish bad memories of the FA Trophy having been knocked out in the third round - the first round in which they enter - last year while also putting Saturday's disappointing defeat to Yeovil behind them.
Although Featherstone, who was appointed the club's permanent manager on Friday following a successful spell in caretaker charge, has vowed to make changes for the visit of a Nomads side who had never before reached the third round of the FA Trophy prior to causing a significant upset by beating Bedford Town, who are two divisions above them in the footballing pyramid, Pools fans will still be hoping their side should have more than enough to progress.
That said, Pools have struggled in cup competitions in recent seasons, losing to Tamworth on penalties at this stage in the Trophy last term while also being dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round stage for three years in a row.
Even so, Pools had been making significant strides under Featherstone, who is the club's third highest appearance-maker of all-time, and were unbeaten in seven games prior to defeat at the hands of a resurgent Yeovil last time out.
Yet Featherstone, who has been named permanent manager until the end of the season ahead of "a review of performance" at the end of the campaign, will be well aware that managers don't get much time to get things right at Victoria Park.
Indeed, Featherstone has played under a staggering 20 different managers since first signing for Pools in October 2014, while of current chairman and owner Raj Singh's 13 permanent appointments prior to the new man, only promotion-winning boss Dave Challinor has survived more than a year in the role.
Featherstone, then, will be under pressure to get things right from the off and can ill-afford what would be an embarrassing slip-up against relative footballing minnows when Anstey, who are third in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands table, make the trip up from Leicestershire this weekend.
"It's the perfect time to get a reaction from the lads," Featherstone told the official Pools club website.
"It's the first defeat in eight games for us, so we've been on a good run.
"For whatever reason, it hasn't happened today (against Yeovil) but I think the group of players we've got are capable of going on another run again.
"We've got a great opportunity to do that now, to start another run and see where it takes us.
"I believe this group of players will react in a positive manner, we'll come back in and we'll be prepared to work hard all week.
"As we always do, we go again and we work hard towards winning on Saturday.
"It gives us an opportunity to maybe make a couple of changes, I'm not 100 per cent sure on the team yet.
"I'm going to see this as an opportunity to get a win, the club's never been to Wembley; it's an opportunity, it's probably the best opportunity, along with the play-offs, of getting to Wembley for us.
"Although we'll make changes in the game, we'll still be a strong enough outfit, I think, to go on and win the game."