Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll is beginning to turn his attention to the FA Cup ahead of this weekend's visit of National League North side Brackley.

The pressure eased slightly on the embattled boss after Pools came from two goals down to beat in-form Sutton 4-3 on Saturday and a decent run in England's oldest cup competition would provide a big financial boost to the club.

Pools reached the fourth round in 2022 but fell at the first hurdle - the fourth qualifying round - this time last season when John Askey's side were well-beaten by National League North outfit Chester.

The Saints are certainly no pushovers and will arrive in the North East unbeaten in their last six games as Brackley look to overcome an indifferent start to the new campaign and reach the play-offs for the fourth season in a row.

Sarll has a good track record in England's oldest cup competition and Pools will be hoping he can mastermind more success ahead of this weekend's visit of Brackley.

placeholder image — Sarll has a good track record in England's oldest cup competition and Pools will be hoping he can mastermind more success ahead of this weekend's visit of Brackley.

Brackley also have a decent record in the FA Cup and have reached the second round three times in the last decade.

Sarll has enjoyed similar good fortune in the competition, taking sides to the third round on three separate occasions, while he also led Watford to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup.

It's hard to tell whether this weekend's game will be a welcome distraction from a turbulent National League campaign or whether it arrives at a bad time, with Pools looking to capitalise on the momentum they acquired during their stunning second half comeback on Saturday.

Either way, it promises to be a testing afternoon for Sarll and his side, with supporters expecting Pools to dispatch their lower league opponents without too much fuss while a defeat, as it was for John Askey 12 months ago, will be seen as unacceptable.

There were plenty of positive signs for Pools as they won at home for the first time all season against Sutton and Sarll and his side will be looking to build on a much-needed three points, although the boss was not too keen to think about the so-called magic of the cup speaking after the game.

"I'm really, really looking forward to my bed," he said.

"We start preparing for Brackley on Monday morning.

"It's an interesting challenge and we'd love to have a run in the cup."