Pools can finally afford to breathe a sigh of relief after Friday’s victory over Halifax ended a run of five games without a win, banished some of the demons from their seven-goal drubbing at Gateshead and moved them eight points clear of the National League relegation zone.
Kevin Phillips and his side are probably just about safe for another season – no team has ever been relegated from the fifth tier of English football with 52 or more points – and so supporters making the trip to Greater Manchester on Easter Monday will be hoping to see Pools play with freedom.
While the Pools boss will surely not be keen to make many changes to a winning team, he will have to be mindful of the fact that his side are set to play their fourth game in just nine days.
So, here’s a look at how Pools could line up.
While the Pools boss will surely not be keen to make many changes to a winning team, he will have to be mindful of the fact that his side are set to play their fourth game in just nine days.