Hartlepool United caretaker manager Antony Sweeney outlines his recipe for results ahead of League Two clash with Newport County

Pools return to League Two action on Friday night as they welcome a Newport County side level on points with them as both teams look to remain in the play-off picture.

Victory for either side at Victoria Park will see them climb into the top six of the League Two table.

It will be Pools’ first league game without former manager Dave Challinor after his exit to Stockport County last week.

Challinor’s last act as Pools boss was a 5-0 defeat at Leyton Orient which Sweeney is hoping will spark a reaction from his players to get back to winning ways and maintain their excellent home record at Victoria Park.

Like Pools, Newport have had their share of managerial conundrums after long serving boss Michael Flynn left the club last month with the Exiles appointing James Rowberry as his replacement.

And Sweeney, who is tasked with steadying the ship at Victoria Park until a new manager is instilled, is hoping his side can eradicate the mistakes from that 5-0 hammering at Brisbane Road a fortnight ago.

“From my point of view, there are certain things that are a given in a football game and those are things we didn’t do against Leyton Orient,” the Pools caretaker boss explains.

“Regardless of any formation, any principles of play, you’ve got to do certain things to win a game at any level.

“There are a couple of times we’ve had games like that over the past few years I’ve been here - Torquay at home, Woking away, they are the things we need to eradicate because we don’t want that to happen.

“When we do the basics and fundamentals right, we’ve got good players and any manager who comes in will have good ideas of how to play.

Sweeney added: “Then with the fans, who have fallen back in love with their football club, that’s a recipe for getting results.

“You’ve got to be committed and go toe to toe with someone and hopefully you have the quality to make the difference.”

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