Ilkeston Town v Hartlepool United: Dave Challinor's side will have to keep this prolific strike pairing at bay

Heading into the fourth qualifying round tie at the New Manor Ground on Saturday, both Alex Troke and Zak Goodson have scored nine times this season.

Fellow forward Nat Watson is also a proven hitman, having struck 72 times over his last three campaigns.

According to derbyshirefootball.com founder Mark Duffy, Troke and Goodson’s big-man-little-man tandem is the key for Ilkeston if they are to bridge a two-division gap and shock Pools.

“Troke is a bit of a target man. To put it simply he’s a big, physical centre-forward,” Duffy said.

“Goodson is more of a quick, nimble player who operates in wide areas.

“He often plays on the right, and drifts inside to do damage with his stronger left foot.”

Although the Robins usually operate with a 4-4-2 system, Duffy believes the quality of Dave Challinor’s side may force manager Martin Carruthers to change their strategy.

“I think they’ll change the way they set up on Saturday.

“At Ilkeston’s level, they have a squad which allows them to play with a lot of attack-minded players.

“But against a professional team like Hartlepool, they can be punished very easily, and if Hartlepool go ahead early it will be difficult to find a way back.”.

It’s Pools’ status as a professional club that could be the biggest stumbling block for The Robins, as full-time training means better fitness levels.

Despite this, Duffy believes the legs the Derbyshire outfit possess in the middle of the park will certainly aid their cause.

“They’ve got a good engine in the midfield with Ollie Brown-Hill, who’s got energy like I’ve never seen before.

“There’s also Jack Thomas who’s spent time in the Football League with Mansfield Town.

“He’s got quality, and is experienced playing against teams of a similar level to Hartlepool.”

Duffy believes that another potential concern for the Robins is their potential lack of fit defenders for Saturday’s game.

“In the game against Kempton Rovers they lost Kieran Fenton and Billy Bennett in the first 20 minutes.

“Three of our back four were playing out of position, so the main concern might be that we haven’t got a full-strength defence and will have to play players in unfamiliar positions.”.

Even though they currently play in the Northern Premier League South/East Division, Ilkeston have historically performed at a higher level.

Duffy believes this is how they have been able to build their current squad.

“The previous club went bust in 2017, but historically, Ilkeston have been a National League North level set-up with a good reputation and sizeable fanbase.

“With the new owners, the club’s overall goal is to push on and make it back to that level at the least.

“The signings they’ve made this summer means Carruthers will want to be battling for promotion, so while a cup run would be nice, the league is the main focus.

“I’m predicting a 3-1 win for Hartlepool, but with the form Ilkeston are in at the moment, there’s potential for an upset if Hartlepool aren’t at their best.”