Data experts predict Hartlepool United's National League play-off fate
Hartlepool United’s National League play-off hopes have been assessed.
Hartlepool United are still in the race for the National League play-offs - although there is little room for error from Nicky Featherstone and his players during the final weeks of the season.
As it stands, Pools have seven games remaining before the regular season comes to a close as they visit Wealdstone, Scunthorpe United, Boreham Wood and Boston United as well as hosting Rochdale, Forest Green Rovers and Southend United at the Prestige Group Stadium. Crucially five of those seven fixtures will see Pools come up against sides currently sitting in the top seven and that means they are facing a make or break period in their season.
There will be some frustration that Pools will have to sit and watch their play-off rivals in action this weekend after their scheduled fixture with Southend United was postponed as the Shrimpers are in FA Trophy semi-final action against National League North side Southport on Saturday. That means Pools will not return to action until they visit Wealdstone on Tuesday night before hitting the road once again on Good Friday as they travel to Scunthorpe.
Despite the tough schedule lying ahead of them, Featherstone and his players will hope to continue pushing for a top seven spot over the coming weeks - but how likely are Pools to break into the play-off places? We take a look at the latest predicted final National League table.
Predicted final National League table
Champions: Rochdale - 109 points Play-offs: York City - 107 points, Carlisle United - 93 points, Boreham Wood - 91 points, Scunthorpe United - 88 points, Forest Green Rovers - 79 points, Southend United - 77 points Staying in the division: Woking - 70 points, FC Halifax Town - 70 points, Hartlepool United - 69 points, Tamworth - 57 points, Altrincham - 56 points, Boston United - 55 points, Yeovil Town - 55 points, Solihull Moors - 53 points, Aldershot Town - 53 points, Sutton United - 52 points, Wealdstone - 52 points, Eastleigh - 49 points, Brackley Town - 42 points Relegated: Gateshead - 41 points, Braintree Town - 37 points, Morecambe - 36 points, Truro City - 32 points
Table via Football Web Pages.
What did Nicky Featherstone say about Hartlepool’s win at Morecambe?
Speaking after the game, the Pools boss said: "I thought we started the game well, I thought Morecambe took control in the middle of the first half and then we finished the first half really strongly. For large periods at the start of the second half, Morecambe were probably the better team but it shows the character that we have got amongst the lads and we've shown that we do have the ability to come back from setbacks now, that was an issue early on when I took over and it seems like we might be over that.
"If you go back two or three months, we definitely wouldn't have won that game tonight; that's testament to the group of players, from where they were to where they are now. What we've done tonight is give ourselves a little bit of hope and a little bit of a chance to go to where we want to go."
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