Hartlepool United interim manager Nicky Featherstone hails Pools as "brilliant to a man" following dominant Eastleigh win
Hartlepool United's interim manager Nicky Featherstone hailed his side as "brilliant to a man" after they extended their unbeaten run to six matches with a dominant 2-0 win over out of sorts Eastleigh.
Pools produced their best performance of Featherstone's tenure - and, perhaps, their best performance of a whirlwind campaign - to make it three wins and three draws from six National League games under the 37-year-old.
Almost from referee James Oldham's first whistle, Pools looked in complete control in Hampshire to secure their first ever win at the Silverlake Stadium against a lacklustre Spitfires side who have lost four and drawn one of their last five matches.
For all the hosts might have been poor, Pools were excellent on a wet and blustery afternoon down south as Featherstone's side kept pace with the race for the National League play-off places.
Pools were, as so often this season, outstanding at the back and Millwall loanee George Evans didn't have to make a save of note until the hour when he did well to deny veteran frontman Paul McCallum.
Yet it was some of their play in possession that must have been most pleasing to Featherstone, who has done an admirable job during his six weeks in caretaker charge so far and is among the favourites to land the role on a permanent basis.
Pools were purposeful and proactive with their passing, while marauding full-backs Jay Benn and Cameron John caused the home side all sorts of problems down the flanks, Jack Hunter in particular impressed in midfield and Alex Reid, despite spurning a couple of presentable first half chances, led the line well.
The two goals, which were scored within four minutes of one another at the beginning of the second half, epitomised all that was good about the Pools performance as John finished off a flowing move after 49 minutes before Nathan Sheron produced a superb strike from range in the 53rd minute to double his side's lead.
While a comfortable win for seventh placed Southend means the gap between Pools and the play-off places still stands at five points, Scunthorpe, who are sixth, could only draw at home to relegation-threatened Braintree and Featherstone's side may well feel they now have the Iron in their sights.
"I thought we were really good value for the win today," the interim boss told The Red Radio.
"From minute one to the 90th minute, I thought we were brilliant to a man. When we had to call on the subs, they came on and did a really good job as well.
"That was the best performance since I've come in. We've shown signs of what we're capable of without getting the end result, but today the two goals were absolutely brilliant; the build up play was excellent, and then the two finishes are absolutely top drawer.
"If you take two points per game throughout the season, then you should be in the top two or three teams in the league. I'm not saying we'd have done that from the off, but what it has done is given us a real opportunity to push to where we should be in this league.
"I'm unbelievably proud. We sat them down on the first day I took charge and we asked for a certain standard and a certain application. Take away the football side of it, it was more like behaviour and stuff like that and they've responded to it unbelievably well.
"They've been brilliant in training, and I think they're starting to show that they're a really good team."