Tom Parkes confident Hartlepool United can compete for a National League play-off place this season

Although Pools missed out on the chance to climb into the top seven for the first time since September following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of a resurgent Yeovil last time out, a run of seven matches unbeaten prior to that has seen them revitalise their faltering play-off hopes.

Even so, Pools will have their work cut out if they're to gatecrash the top seven, with both seventh placed Southend and Scunthorpe, who are sixth, currently in considerably stronger positions.

Southend, last season's beaten play-off finalists, are two points clear of Pools with two games in hand, albeit one of those is against leaders Rochdale after their meeting was abandoned 13 minutes from time earlier this month, while Scunthorpe have already built up a seven-point advantage over Nicky Featherstone's side.

Even so, there is a feeling that Pools have a squad capable of challenging for the top seven, with quality littered throughout their ranks after chairman and owner Raj Singh appeared to put his hand in his pocket over the summer.

While this season, so far at least, hasn't worked out as Singh might have planned - Pools sacked Simon Grayson, whom Singh invested so much faith in, after just 15 games at the helm while home attendances have dropped dramatically - there is hope that Featherstone, who was appointed as manager until the end of the season following a successful spell in caretaker charge, could still lead them to glory.

Although Pools profess to be fully-focused on this weekend's visit of Northern Premier League Division One Midlands side Anstey Nomads in the FA Trophy, the reality is that Saturday's game feels more like an unwelcome distraction than a proposition Featherstone's team are genuinely relishing.

In all likelihood, Pools probably already have one eye on their trip to National League strugglers Braintree on December 21, while Boxing Day's visit of play-off rivals Scunthorpe before a trip to leaders Rochdale on December 30 promise to be real tests of their promotion credentials.

If Pools can head into the new year still within striking distance of the top seven, then Featherstone's side will likely feel as though they have every chance of stealing into the play-offs at the end of the season.

Parkes, who has started all of the last five matches and has been an integral part of his side's recent improvements, told The Red Radio he was confident Pools would be there or thereabouts come crunch time.

"I don't see why we can't do it," he said.

"We've got to make sure we're doing things right, we're working hard in training and, when the games come around, we're performing well.

"We did ok on Saturday (against Yeovil), but we need to make sure, if we do go a goal behind, we don't let another goal happen.

"We've just got to stay focused from now until the end of the season and see where it takes us."

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