Hartlepool United manager hoping remarkable Solihull Moors comeback win can inspire Pools ahead of Carlisle United clash
Hartlepool United manager Nicky Featherstone is hoping Saturday's remarkable comeback win over Solihull Moors can help inspire Pools ahead of a potentially pivotal run of matches.
Pools' slim hopes of sneaking into the National League play-off places looked all but over when Conor Wilkinson's contentious penalty and a bizarre own goal by Gavan Holohan saw Solihull, one of their direct rivals for a coveted place in the top seven, race into a two-goal lead in the West Midlands at the weekend.
Just when Pools appeared to be sleepwalking towards what would have been a third defeat in four matches in what Featherstone had termed a must-win game ahead of kick-off, the visitors turned the contest on its head in dramatic circumstances.
Having shown little to no sign of engineering a route back into the game, quickfire goals from Alex Reid and Jamie Miley, who lashed a piledriver of an effort beyond the despairing Laurie Walker from long range, saw Pools draw level before half time.
Featherstone's side produced a much-improved showing after the break but it wasn't until the 84th minute that they edged ahead for the first time all afternoon when the outstanding Tyrese Sinclair, who scored three goals in 10 matches during a productive spell on loan at Damson Park earlier in the season and admitted it felt "bittersweet" to come back and haunt his former side, bagged his first Pools goal from close range.
There was still scope for even more drama in added time - which extended to almost a quarter of an hour following a serious injury to substitute Luke Charman, who was stretchered off in excruciating pain following a fall - as Sinclair looked to have put the visitors out of sight with a low free-kick only for substitute Emmanuel Sonupe to acrobatically pull one back after Bradley Stevenson's spot-kick, the home side's second of the afternoon, had cannonned back off the crossbar.
In the end, Pools held on to secure a momentous three points that helped them keep pace in the race for the National League play-off places while putting a potentially fatal dent in Solihull's own hopes of stealing a march on the top seven.
Although Southend United, who have won their last two matches by an aggregate score of 8-1 and leapfrogged Halifax Town into seventh after easing past Brackley Town at the weekend, look to be in the driving seat when it comes to the pursuit of a play-off place, Pools did at least manage to keep themselves within touching distance of the Shrimpers. With the Essex outfit four points clear of Pools and with three games in hand - Kevin Maher's side have to visit Victoria Park in March - anything other than victory in the West Midlands would surely have spelled the end for any hopes Featherstone's side might have been harbouring of Wembley glory this season.
Yet the win - and, significantly, the manner of the win - could now provide Pools with the boost they need to propel themselves closer to the top seven ahead of a hugely significant run of three home games in succession. Pools welcome rivals Carlisle United on Wednesday night before big games against relegation-threatened Sutton United and Halifax, who are currently sandwiched between Featherstone's side and Southend in the National League table, next week.
"We've watched the Solihull game back," Featherstone said.
"It was a poor start and we found ourselves 2-0 down but the character we showed to go on and win that game was massive.
"That gives us a slightly better chance now of pushing for that seventh place, it's not going to be easy but we've given ourselves a chance.
"We billed it as a must-win game and we managed to come out on top."