Hartlepool United interim manager Nicky Featherstone previews Eastleigh test - but admits he doesn't know if he'll still be in charge ahead of long trip to Hampshire
Hartlepool United's interim manager Nicky Featherstone has been previewing Saturday's long trip to Eastleigh.
Pools, who have won two and drawn three of their last five matches, will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to six games and keep pace with the play-off race when they travel to Hampshire at the weekend.
Although Pools have made significant improvements under Featherstone, who has been in temporary charge for well over a month since the sudden sacking of former boss Simon Grayson, performances have, in general, been more battling than brilliant.
While Pools produced a spirited display to beat play-off chasing Halifax and looked confident and assured when brushing aside a resurgent Solihull Moors, draws with strugglers Sutton and Morecambe have left something to be desired.
Saturday's draw with a Wealdstone side who arrived at Victoria Park having won their last four games in all competitions and are enjoying a remarkable season under the charismatic Sam Cox, then, probably ranks somewhere in-between; while Pools went toe-to-toe with their fellow play-off chasers and could have taken all three points had it not been for Stones goalkeeper Dante Baptiste, many fans will feel it was a game their side should have won.
Pools now turn their attention to a trip to the Silverlake Stadium, a ground they have tended to struggle at in recent years.
Like Pools, Eastleigh have already made a change in the dugout this season, replacing former Southampton goalkeeper Kelvin Davis with Weston-super-Mare boss Scott Bartlett following an underwhelming start to the campaign.
While the Spitfires appear to have made some progress under Bartlett, renowned for being a forward-thinking and progressive coach, Eastleigh are without a win in their last four matches.
That said, the Hampshire side will have been buoyed by picking up a point against promotion-chasers Carlisle thanks to an 88th minute equaliser from Kieron Evans last time out while Eastleigh, who are 14th in the National League table and four points behind Pools, will probably still harbour play-off ambitions of their own.
Of course, hanging over everything at Victoria Park is the club's ongoing hunt for a new permanent manager, with the Hartlepool Mail revealing that Pools had met with both Featherstone and former midfielder Chris Beech about the vacant role last week.
If Featherstone, who is the club's third highest appearance-maker of all-time and has spent more than a decade at Pools, is still in charge at the weekend in whatever capacity then the 37-year-old has vowed to make the long journey south fully prepared for what the Spitfires might have to offer.
"I've seen their result, they got a really good result away at Carlisle," the interim boss told the official Pools club website.
"They'll be full of confidence after that, Carlisle are top of the table so to go there and get a 1-1 draw is a good result for them I'm guessing.
"Again, we'll do our homework if we're in place to take that game and we'll try and set up a game plan to go and get a result there."