Hartlepool United verdict: Relief the word as Pools end barren run with help from a familiar face

It may only have been a fortnight since John Askey’s side last tasted success against Dagenham & Redbridge but it has been a trying couple of weeks for the Hartlepool boss, having seen their promising early season form whittle away.

Around 10 minutes into Hartlepool’s away trip to Chesterfield back in August, game six of the National League campaign, there was an acknowledgement that Askey’s side may be the real deal this season, having headed into that game top of the division and raced into an early two-goal lead against the clear division favourites.

Succumbing to defeat from that position did not necessarily take away that concept about Pools, but the month that ensued has dampened those spirits a little and with the gap to Chesterfield, even after victory over Eastleigh, now at 16 points, it does feel as though Pools would have to go some if they were to compete for that singular automatic promotion spot.

That means the focus is very much on the top seven, which is why a return to winning ways over Eastleigh was paramount, even at this early stage of the season.

After the meagre defeats to Solihull Moors and, particularly, Dorking Wanderers you could sense one or two knives starting to be sharpened about the club once more.

Although the performance at Boreham Wood was improved, when Lee Ndlovu’s strike hit the back of the net 12 minutes from time you could sense the desperation seeping out of Hartlepool’s players and those in the stands. It was reaching something of a mini crisis for Pools to have won just one of six games at this level – and Askey knew it.

The decision to allow Boreham Wood’s goal bore the brunt of Askey's frustration in midweek, albeit another view of the goal would suggest it was the correct decision, as his side were thwarted by a goalkeeper in inspired form.

The one thing you could take from that defeat was that there was still something coming back from the players. They still appeared committed to the approach, with Askey adamant a similar performance would yield a better return.

And so it proved. Pools eclipsed their display against Eastleigh and ran out deserving 3-1 winners with impressive displays across the board. The collective sigh of relief was tangible.

It was a big win for so many reasons for Hartlepool. While the National League doesn’t stop for international breaks, the league does take its own break of sorts for the FA Cup and for Pools to enter that two week hiatus by bringing an end to their losing streak, and registering three goals, it should do them the world of good.

It’s a period which will also hopefully allow Askey to welcome one or two more bodies back – although you would be hard pressed to change the weekend line-up when Pools head to Aldershot next time out in the league.

Emmanuel Dieseruvwe scored twice, Luke Hendrie was inspired in the right wing-back role and Joe Grey produced one of his best displays in blue and white. To a man, Pools were impressive.

It’s perhaps no coincidence Askey has seen an upturn in performance levels over the last two games following the return of Nicky Featherstone.

The former skipper made a seamless transition back into the starting line-up, despite not playing competitively since May, and has completed back-to-back 90 minutes whilst, arguably, being Hartlepool’s standout player in both games.

Featherstone's return has been ‘infectious’ according to team-mate Dieseruvwe, but it represents a square peg in a square hole after Askey has struggled immensely with injuries throughout his squad this season.

If the idea behind a one-month deal was merely to confirm whether Featherstone could still go, having been out of football since the end of last season, then the contract should already be being drawn up to extend his deal until the end of the campaign.

It shouldn’t be a surprise, really, given the club should have ensured Featherstone’s stay in the summer, but while he may not resolve all of Hartlepool’s problems, whether it be defensively or their recent goal drought, he does offer another more than competent body in the holding midfield role within Askey’s system which also benefits others around him.

In that sense, you could argue it has been a decent week for Pools. Common sense eventually prevailed, they got back to winning ways and they received some encouraging injury news with regards to Callum Cooke and Anthony Mancini. The hope being this can be the springboard they need to kick-start their season once more.

Askey was thorough in his message with regards to assessing the shape of his squad and how the season may play out after the 10 game milestone. But as we head into an FA Cup break, 15 games and a third of the way through the campaign, the report card will still highlight the room there is for improvement.

At this point during their promotion winning season in 2021, Dave Challinor’s side sat third having amassed 24 points – 11 behind then leaders Torquay United, having won seven, lost five and drawn three.

Askey’s record is not too dissimilar, having won the same number of games but losing two more to sit on 22 points, which sees them in seventh place – the same as it would have had they accrued the same 24 points as Challinor’s side.

Challinor’s Hartlepool went on to lose just five more games that season, though, winning 15 on their way to a fourth place finish which means the current Hartlepool side will more than likely need to go on a prolonged unbeaten run if they are to both establish and preserve their status within the play-off places.

But after what has been a challenging period, it’s a relief to be able to contemplate looking up once more.