Jack Hunter confident Hartlepool United can still challenge for place in the National League play-offs
Hartlepool United midfielder Jack Hunter insists Pools still have what it takes to finish in the National League play-off places this season.
Pools are gearing up for a momentous weekend as they prepare to entertain Altrincham in what will be their first home game since American businessman and investor Landon Smith completed his takeover of the club.
In amongst all the fanfare and excitement, however, Pools can ill-afford to lose sight of the fact that Saturday's game is, in effect, a must-win if they're to give themselves any chance of stealing into the top seven this season.
Having worked so hard to play themselves back into contention thanks to an impressive run of seven National League matches unbeaten during manager Nicky Featherstone's successful spell in caretaker charge, Pools have lost ground in the race for the play-offs following a run of just one win in their last six matches. Indeed, their thumping 4-0 defeat at the hands of Woking last time out felt like a stark reminder of how much work Pools have to do if they're to give themselves a fighting chance of a place in the top seven this term.
Although Pools are still just four points behind seventh placed Southend - Scunthorpe, who are sixth, are 12 points clear of Featherstone's side and so Southend are, in all likelihood, the only team they can realistically hope to reel in - the Shrimpers have three games in hand and look to be in pole position as the race for the play-offs hots up.
Even so, there is a sense that the news of Smith's takeover has given Pools a lift, while fans are hopeful that the American might well put his hand in his pocket to strengthen Featherstone's squad ahead of the all-important run-in.
What's more, Pools have a favourable run of fixtures on the horizon, welcoming an Altrincham side who have lost all of their last five matches on Saturday before entertaining a Gateshead team who are in the midst of an even worse run, losing all of their previous 12 games. Pools then travel to relegation-threatened Brackley before another home fixture, this time against Aldershot, who are only outside the bottom four on goal-difference.
One man who knows all about what it takes to finish in the National League play-off places is Hunter, who was part of the Halifax side that finished seventh in the 2023/24 campaign.
Having found himself out of favour at the start of the season under Simon Grayson, the 28-year-old has been brought back into the fold by Featherstone, starting 10 of his side's last 12 league matches.
While it might seem like the odds are stacked against them, Hunter insists Pools are still full of belief about their play-off prospects this term.
"Definitely, there's no reason we can't do it," he said.
"I've been in this position before when you're in and around the play-offs and you've just got to stay there, hang in there, and when you get opportunities to win and gain points on the teams above you, make sure you take them.
"It's not about who's in the play-off places now, it's about who's in them at the end of the season. 100 per cent, we know that there's enough here, we just need to be a bit more consistent.
"We can't be as good as we were against Rochdale and then play like we did at the weekend (against Woking), that wasn't acceptable. We need to try and find a bar that we don't drop below, and hopefully that means we pick up more wins and more points."