Luke George sets Hartlepool United win target to avoid National League relegation

Luke George thinks Hartlepool United need to win at least FIVE more games to secure their National League status.
Hartlepool Uniteds Luke George and Aldershots Fabien Robert challenge for the ball.Hartlepool Uniteds Luke George and Aldershots Fabien Robert challenge for the ball.
Hartlepool Uniteds Luke George and Aldershots Fabien Robert challenge for the ball.

Pools recorded just their ninth win of the season on Saturday, beating part-timers Woking 3-2 at Victoria Park.

It was their first victory since November 21 and their first Saturday home win since September.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And George is hopeful that three points is just the start of things to come, because with 14 games to go, he thinks Pools need at least a handful of wins to prevent the drop to the National League North.

“It is a quick turnaround for us which is good. We go again,” George said of tonight’s clash with Halifax Town at the Shay.

“We have 14 games to go - we know what we have to achieve now.

“I think the minimum from that is five wins.

“I think that will get us over the line and make sure we are where we want to be next season.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

George started just his fifth game of the season, his sixth appearance in total this campaign.

After a lengthy injury problem, it was his first game since November.

And the midfielder, signed from Chester in the summer, has revealed just how frustrating life has been since his made the switch.

“It was a big thing for me,” the 25-year-old said of his return.

“I have broken down a lot with these injuries this season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It is hard but getting out there is the motivation. You have to use it to drive you on.

“When you are out you are in the back seat, really. You can’t have a massive impact on what is going on on the pitch.

“You have to use that to make you stronger.

“It has been hard watching on lately.

“You can’t have the impact you want to when you’re watching on and not playing.

“It is hard being away from family, away from home and having no games to play, but I have used that to drive me on to get back stronger.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“All I try to tell myself is that I need to come in and have an impact. And if we can finish the season as strongly as possible I will be happy knowing I played my part.”

To be fair to George, he has been ready to return for some time.
He revealed that he was fit to be thrown in at Barrow last week, but the weather prevented him getting back sooner.

“Personally, I was ready for Barrow away. I was champing at the bit,” he said.

“It has been a difficult season for me. But I got my head around it and it was good for me to be in and around the lads, fit, for another week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“For the group it can, at times, create a feeling of lethargy. But I think the lads showed that was not the case.

“A lot of lads enjoyed the time off to go and see their families and come back full switched on to get results.”

On Saturday’s win, he continued: “We have had a couple of weeks with no games and that has given us a lot of time to work on things.

“We knew how they like to play, we had a gameplan, set traps and we have put all that into work. In the end it all paid off for us. We got what we deserved.”