Hartlepool United manager warns Pools will have to be at their best ahead of long trip to Brackley Town
Hartlepool United manager Nicky Featherstone has warned that Pools will have to be at their best ahead of this weekend's trip to Brackley Town.
Pools are looking to record three successive victories for just the second time this season having edged past Altrincham and Gateshead in back-to-back home matches.
Having been riding the crest of a wave in the wake of American businessman and investor Landon Smith's takeover of the club, however, Pools now turn their attention to a long trip to Northamptonshire where they won't be able to rely on the same level of vocal support from the terraces.
Indeed, Pools have bad memories of recent visits to St James' Park having been dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round stage by the Saints last season, a result that spelled the end for controversial former manager Darren Sarll.
At the time, Brackley appeared to be contending for a place in the National League North play-offs but the Saints ended up being promoted as champions after winning all of their last six games, conceding just once.
Although it has taken them time to adjust to life at the level above, a run of one defeat in their previous five matches - including a statement win over title-chasing Forest Green Rovers - has helped Brackley, who are six points clear of the bottom four, put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
A lot of their recent success has been attributed to popular manager Gavin Cowan, who took charge after the Saints were beaten in the 2023 National League North play-off final and is rumoured to have attracted the attention of several Football League clubs.
Pools, then, will need to be at their best to pick up a positive result on Saturday - in truth, Featherstone's side will need to improve on generally underwhelming showings against both Alty and the Heed - and keep their hopes of sneaking into the National League play-off places alive.
"They're not in bad form to be fair, they're a tough team to play at their ground," Featherstone told BBC Radio Tees Sport.
"They've beaten Forest Green at home, so they're capable of beating the better teams in the league. We'll have to be at our best again, we can't afford to let our standards drop because once we do we become a fraction of the team that we are. We've got to be at it, I've just got to think of an XI now that is fresh enough and fit enough to go and put on a performance at the end of a really tough week.
"I think they (Brackley) have done brilliantly, they came up last season by winning the league. Before that, they'd been in the play-offs a lot and he (Gavin Cowan) has done a brilliant job there. I know he's been linked with EFL jobs now as well; he's done a top, top job.
"They look like they're going to cement themselves for another year in the National League. They'll be fine, they're not a bad team; they're just solid in what they do. They're really compact and hard to beat, that's why they get results. I'm expecting a tough game."