National League play-off battle: Who do Hartlepool United's top seven rivals face this weekend?
There are some big fixtures taking place at the top end of the National League on Saturday.
Hartlepool United will watch on from the sidelines as several of their National League play-off rivals get an opportunity to steal a march in the play-off race this weekend.
Pools were scheduled to face Southend United on Saturday but the Shrimpers progress into the FA Trophy semi-final means their focus is now on securing a Wembley date with a win at National League North club Southport. However, several other clubs in contention for a top seven spot in non-league’s top tier will be in action on Saturday as the annual Non-League Day initiative is held for the fifteenth time.
There is a huge clash at The Shay as FC Halifax Town, who currently sit just outside of the play-off spots, host fifth placed Scunthorpe United. With Southend in Trophy action, a home win would lift the hosts above Kevin Maher’s side into the top seven of the table. However, they will face an Iron side that have lost just one of their last six games and will hope the likes of Danny Whitehall and former Newcastle United winger Callum Roberts can continue their fine individual performances of late.
Sixth placed Forest Green Rovers will travel to Eastleigh in a fixture that could have implications at both ends of the table as the Spitfires are sitting just four points and two places above the relegation zone. Elsewhere at the top end of the table, leaders Rochdale head to Sutton United and second placed York City will hope to bounce back from their midweek defeat at Gateshead when they host Woking at the LNER Community Stadium. Carlisle United, who currently sit in third place, head to Braintree Town and fourth placed Boreham Wood head to the south coast to take on a Truro City side on the brink of making an immediate return to the National League South. Pools are back in action on Tuesday night when they make the trip to Wealdstone and they will keep a close eye on events at Roots Hall as Southend host rapidly improving Yeovil Town.
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; that's testament to the group of players, from where they were to where they are now. What we've done is give ourselves a little bit of hope and a little bit of a chance to go to where we want to go."
Your next Hartlepool United: Hartlepool United defender vows to keep fighting as Pools close in on National League play-off place