Pools head coach mindful of threat from "absolute workhorse" Jacob Hazel ahead of visit of Boston United
Hartlepool United head coach Anthony Limbrick has hailed Boston United frontman Jacob Hazel as an "absolute workhorse" as Pools prepare to host the Pilgrims this weekend.
Boston were all but down and out when former Newport boss Graham Coughlan replaced Ian Culverhouse, who led the club to promotion last season, in November. However, an impressive run of six games unbeaten has seen the Pilgrims move to within two points of safety. With Pools now without a win in eight matches and just nine points clear of this weekend's visitors, both sides know that a victory at the weekend could prove very significant indeed. Pools have won just five of their 19 league games at the Prestige Group Stadium and have not picked up three points at home since New Year's Day, while the Pilgrims will arrive in the North East having won all of their last five matches on the road.
Industrious frontman Jacob Hazel has been a big part of their recent resurgence. The 30-year-old scored in the reverse fixture back in September and has been in a rich vein of form under Coughlan following a spell out of the side, scoring seven goals in his last 12 games. In recent weeks, Hazel has re-established his partnership with Jimmy Knowles, who left Boston to sign for League Two club Accrington Stanley but returned to Lincolnshire in January; the pair were both on target during a statement 3-2 win over play-off chasing Rochdale in midweek.
Pools have struggled for goals and clean sheets in the last few months but might fancy their chances of a shutout on Saturday against the division's third-lowest scorers. Limbrick, who saw plenty of Hazel earlier in the season while watching Pemi Aderoju, who was on loan at Boston from Peterborough, the Australian's previous employers, knows Pools will have to be at their best to limit the indefatigable frontman's influence.
"He's an absolute workhorse up there," he said.
"He works along the line, he definitely gives the defenders an honest game. He's very physical, he's good in the air and he can run down the sides. I watched him a lot at the start of the season actually. He scores in streaks and I thought he took his goal well on Tuesday night. I think the front two pairing is a dangerous one, so we'll have to be aware of that."