Hartlepool United set to play first National League match of the season in front of fans at Woking

Pools played in front of 400 fans at Ilkeston Town in the FA Cup back in October but haven’t played a league game in front of supporters since March.

Due to Woking’s tier two status, the Laithwaite Community Stadium will be welcoming fans back for the first time this season for the match against Pools.

With Hartlepool still in tier three, Poolies’ nine month wait to get back to Victoria Park is set to extend into the new year. But manager Dave Challinor is still hopeful of some positive news in the coming weeks.

“Hopefully we get some good news ourselves around the middle of December and get that feeling back and that belief back at The Vic,” he said.

"The players want to play in front of crowds and they’ll get to do that on Saturday but a lot of the players we’ve brought in haven’t had that experience playing at home when it’s rocking.

"It might be a good or bad experience but they’ll see that if they give everything out on the pitch then the crowd will respond to that and I can’t wait for that to happen.”

Pools currently sit seventh in the table, one point and four places ahead of Woking in 11th. And after watching his side pick up only their second win in nine matches at home to King’s Lynn Town on Tuesday night, Challinor is desperate to put a run together.

Woking manager and former Darlington defender Alan Dowson was in attendance for the game at Victoria Park following the postponement of The Cards’ match at Altrincham.

“Back to back wins is massive in this league with the way the table is,” Challinor added.

“Obviously their game was off on Tuesday night and I noticed Alan up in the stand so he’ll have seen us and he’ll have no fears about playing us but we’ll have no fears playing them.

"We know what to expect, they’re a really hard working team and a reflection of the manager who was brought up around these ways.

"We go there expecting a battle and trying to back up what we showed on Tuesday.”

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