Nicky Featherstone praises effective game plan following 2-0 win over Barnet in the National League

Nicke Kabamba’s first-half brace put Pools in control and they never looked in danger of losing the game especially after the Bees were reduced to 10-men in the second half following a second yellow card for Jack Taylor.

Featherstone was magisterial in the middle of the park as he pulled the strings throughout the afternoon.

The win takes Hartlepool to within touching distance of the play-off positions once again as their hard work in training paid off.

“That was a big performance,” Featherstone said.

“We managed to get an early goal and settled into the game really well. It was a week’s worth of training that came out today, it’s not often training comes out that well but it was as good as we’ve played all season.

“You put a run together in this league and it shoots you right into the mix.

“[Kabamba] has got four in four now so I’m really pleased for him because he works very hard and he could have had a hat-trick if it wasn’t for Loachy’s long, long foot!”

Featherstone’s performance was arguably one of his best in of 224 a Pools shirt to date as he looks to continue that momentum into the coming weeks.

And when discussing his best displays for the club, the 30-year-old told the club’s website: “I think there was a spell when Higgy [Craig Hignett] was here the first time when I had a good run but I really enjoyed the game and I felt good.

“We’d worked all week on a way of playing and to see it come out like that, you can’t ask for more.

“It’s something to build us but we’ve got momentum behind it now.

“Yeah [it feels different this time], we worked all week and for it to come out on a Saturday like that, it’s some effort from everyone involved, Sweens [Antony Sweeney, caretaker manager], Gucky [Ian McGuckin] to put the gameplan together. It’s just how you react but we’re in a rich vein of form and this performance just topped it off.”