Verdict: The significance of Hartlepool United's back-to-back home wins

At least that is the message as far as Hartlepool United are concerned when it comes to their home form in the National League this season.

John Askey’s side did exactly what was required of them following a chastening return to non-league at the beginning of the month, particularly in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Maidenhead United.

Hartlepool dominated, by and large, for the entire 90 minutes and asserted that dominance on the scoreboard in the second half when taking a three-goal lead.

They looked confident, they were slick in their approach, they created chances, they scored goals and the midfield really grabbed hold of the game, which allowed them to enjoy such control. It was the kind of performance Hartlepool will crave throughout the season on home soil. Job done.

And what’s good, you feel, is that there is another gear in there somewhere for Askey’s side.

It’s a common concept in football; Dave Challinor recently spoke about it ahead of Hartlepool’s trip to Stockport in May. Current Hartlepool boss Askey said it throughout his time at the end of last season, he said it again in pre-season, and first team coach Antony Sweeney reiterated it following the win in midweek; home form is crucial.

When Hartlepool were promoted in 2021, they lost just four home games, with three of those coming in the first two months of the season. Without doubt, it can be the benchmark with which to construct your campaign.

And while the win over Maidenhead was a) one which Hartlepool will have been expected to win and b) done so in the aforementioned positive manner, it’s the win over Gateshead which also lends itself to some cause for optimism.

Having lost the way they did at Barnet there was some, justifiable, criticism. The ‘here we go again’ paradigm as the hangover from last season kicked in. That is something Hartlepool will, likely, have to get used to throughout the season whenever they turn in a sub-par performance – of which they undoubtedly will over a 46-game campaign.

Like a spider who makes home in your car wing-mirror, whenever you think the painful reminder of relegation has gone, out it comes once again spinning its web just to give you a little reminder it’s there.

The only way Hartlepool can atone for that is by winning games and against Gateshead they demonstrated a different way to win compared to their Maidenhead success.

A bright start followed by a conservative approach, before they found themselves with their backs against the wall when going down to 10 men.

For all Askey has, again justifiably at times, criticised the mentality of his players, they showed immense character to grind out a victory from that point – even more so after conceding an equaliser – with a 90th minute winner.

There’s something quite telling about Hartlepool’s form at the Suit Direct Stadium under Askey. Nine games, four wins, four draws and just the one defeat. But within that there is a multitude of evidence to show the commitment of the players in front of their own supporters with as many as eight goals scored beyond the 80th minute in games.

Askey wants winners, and they are at least showing they are willing to do that right until the very end at home.

And therein brings the next piece to any potential Askey promotion-winning puzzle; translating that on the road.

Looking back at the 2021 promotion campaign, Hartlepool won eight of their 21 away games, losing six and drawing seven, which isn’t bad. But the three teams who finished immediately above them in the top three won 13, 12 and 11 away games respectively.

Perhaps the biggest example from that season can be seen with Solihull Moors who had the best home record in the division with 15 wins and two draws, before taking just 17 points on the road to finish 11th and five points outside of the play-offs.

It emphasises the importance of both home and away form if you are to have a tilt at the top end of the division.

We’re only three games into the new season but by the end of the month Askey’s side will have travelled to the three teams who sit above them in the table after those first three fixtures in Barnet, Southend United and title favourites Chesterfield.

The confidence gained by two morale boosting home wins lends itself to that cautious optimism creeping back in once more ahead of the trip to Roots Hall – a place where the second favourites for the division, Oldham Athletic, were humbled 4-0 on the opening day of the season.

But if Pools can translate some of these positives from two successful home outings onto the road, then we could be onto something after all.

There will be bumps in the road, of course – and maybe we were all guilty of making hyperbole of that opening day loss at Barnet given what has gone on over the last 12 months, but if Hartlepool can continue in a similar manner on their own patch then it gives them an opportunity to grasp away from home.

Although the season is still in its primitive phase, Askey has already checked off some key early milestones.

He’s brought in players who have an attitude he is keen to work with, his side have bounced back from their first set-back, they have won their first home game and then, crucially, they have followed that up.

It was the first time Hartlepool had completed back-to-back home wins in the league since February 2022. Pools only managed back-to-back wins, at all, once before Askey’s arrival last season, against Crawley Town and Rochdale – Askey has now done it twice in just 16 games in charge.

Piece by piece, he is nudging things back in the right direction.