Hartlepool United prepare for away double with survival 'in our hands' but ex-Newcastle United defender remains a doubt

That’s the message from Antony Sweeney as Hartlepool United prepare for a double-header on the road as we move into the final five games of the season.

Hartlepool’s Easter success of four points from six has moved them out of the bottom two, one point above Crawley Town, with the Reds, crucially, still to visit the Suit Direct Stadium.

That game comes to the fore next weekend, but in the meantime Hartlepool have back-to-back away fixtures to contend with at Newport County and then on Tuesday at Salford City.

"It’s another two difficult games,” Sweeney told The Mail.

"Newport for various reasons, travel and things like that. Salford because they need the points just as much as we do at the top end of the table.

"They’re difficult games but, fingers crossed, no more difficult than a Leyton Orient or a Bradford away or a Stevenage at home who we’ve sort of come through with results against. So we’re confident, but we’ve still got to perform.

"We can’t just turn up in them games and think because we’re eight unbeaten and we’ve done it in the previous eight games that we’re going to do it in the next two. We’ve got to keep doing the things we’ve been doing well.”

Hartlepool head to Rodney Parade at the weekend just two months on from the reverse fixture at the Suit Direct Stadium – a fixture which would prove to be the last for former manager Keith Curle.

Pools’ last visit to South Wales saw them claim a rare away win, inspired by a memorable goal from Jamie Sterry in a 3-2 success.

Sterry, however, is a doubt to face the Exiles this weekend having picked up a groin injury in the win over Grimsby.

"Hopefully it’s only days. Who knows at this stage? It’s one of those where it’s still quite an acute injury,” said Sweeney.

"We’ve got a good medical staff in place who will try and put him through his paces and do everything possible to try and get him fit and well as quickly as possible because we need Jamie.

"But we’ve got to be mindful that we don’t rush him back too soon and put him out for the season.”

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