Hartlepool United fans 'a hard bunch to please' claims Eastleigh boss Richard Hill
Hartlepool United will host National League rivals Eastleigh on Saturday afternoon.
Eastleigh interim manager Richard Hill has described Hartlepool United fans as ‘a hard bunch to please’ as his side prepare to visit the Prestige Group Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Spitfires will make the long trip to the North East looking to condemn Pools to a third consecutive home defeat that would boost their hopes of preserving their National League status this season. By contrast, Nicky Featherstone’s men will hope to build on last weekend’s win at Truro City and enhance their chances of making a late push for the play-off places.
With both sides needing wins to further their causes at either end of the National League table, Hill, who worked as Sunderland’s head of football operations between May 2018 and July 2020, has claimed Pools have ‘an outside chance of the play-offs’ and made a bold claim about the home faithful ahead of the trip to the North East.
When asked if Pools had something to play for, the Spitfires interim manager said: “I’d say so. I would imagine they’ve still got an outside chance (of reaching the play-offs). They’ve got to put a good run together and they are in front of their own fans, who from working up in the North East previously, are a hard bunch to please. So they have an outside chance of the play-offs but they have got to keep winning football matches. I am sure they are going to be trying to do what we are trying to do and that’s win a football match.”
Preparations
The Spitfires will travel to Hartlepool sitting just five points and three places above the relegation zone after they suffered three defeats in their last four games. Those defeats came against three sides pushing for promotion as the Spitfires emerged pointless from meetings with Carlisle United, York City and Rochdale - but a dramatic late win against fellow strugglers Brackley Town did at least offer some respite for Hill and his players.
However, with the likes of Gateshead and Morecambe rapidly improving with every passing week and the gap to the drop zone reducing, the need for a win to quell any lingering fears over relegation has become clear. Ahead of the visit to Pools, Hill revealed his players have been working hard in training and praised their attitudes as they look to claim what could be considered to be a much-needed win.
Speaking on Thursday, Hill said: “I say it all the while, and I see previous managers saying it and other managers saying it, the lads have been good. They’ve turned up, they’ve worked hard again, which is all you can ask of them. It’s helped today has been good, the sun is out, which is always good, they’re a good bunch to work with.”
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