Hartlepool United head coach Anthony Limbrick backs Joe Grey and Mani Dieseruvwe to reignite prolific partnership

The pair started up front together during last weekend's draw with Eastleigh but have rarely featured as a strike partnership this season. For the most part, Dieseruvwe has either lined up alongside veteran Gary Madine or been competing with him for the coveted role as a lone striker; indeed, Dieseruvwe had started on the bench for three games in a row prior to the long trip to Hampshire. Grey, meanwhile, missed almost two months after undergoing surgery on a groin problem and has spent large parts of the campaign on the flank.

Proponents of Limbrick's recent reversion back to a 3-5-2 formation will point to the fact that it allows Pools to start with two strikers without losing a man in midfield. If Pools stick with the shape ahead of this weekend's visit of out of sorts Solihull Moors, who have lost six of their last nine matches, then Grey and Dieseruvwe could well lead the line again, although Gary Madine is back in training after missing the trip to Eastleigh through illness.

The pair both enjoyed career-best seasons last term and accounted for 38 goals between them. While this season hasn't been quite as explosive, Grey and Dieseruvwe have scored a combined 19 times so far. The partnership really took off towards the end of last season under former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips. Much like the legendary partnership between Phillips and Niall Quinn, who scored 44 goals between them in the 1999/00 season, Grey and Dieseruvwe form the archetypal big man-little man duo and their different qualities allow them to dovetail well. Sceptical supporters will point to the fact that both men have yet to agree new contracts despite being offered terms some time ago, but whether or not either man is likely to be at the Prestige Group Stadium next season Limbrick will be keen for them to strike up their prolific partnership again in the coming weeks.

"I thought they were really good last Saturday," he said.

"Apart from getting the goal that they deserved, I thought both did the ugly side of the game in their own ways very well. Joe Grey ran the channels and turned bad balls into good balls and I thought Mani held the ball up really well, he competed physically. I thought he ran down the sides well also. They combined well, they like playing together because they're different, there's no doubt about that. I think they caused the Eastleigh defence problems. We talked before the game about matching up different units and we wanted our front two to be better than their defensive three and I thought they were.

"It was just that final finish that was lacking. I thought Mani was unlucky that nothing really dropped to him, a couple of chances fell to Joe. I thought Joe was going to score when Louis Stephenson crossed to him and we had a couple of half-chances in there as well.

"I like the combination and playing three at the back is one way we can get them in the same side together. Sometimes when you play 4-2-3-1, you don't get the three in midfield which I think this team can be better with. We'll see how we go for Saturday and see what formation we come up with then."