Cobblers defeat means Pools' prospects improve
By Clarence Rode
April 29 2009
Hartlepool got one of their best results of the season on Tuesday night … without even playing. Northampton’s 1-0 home defeat against MK Dons means that the picture for the last day of the season is now much more clear, and looking a lot brighter for Pools. By the way, before we go any further, the latest in our new season of Leeds-baiting features is at the end of this article.
All the teams in the danger zone now have one game left, with Northampton, Brighton and Carlisle the only three below Pools who can catch them.
Carlisle need to beat Millwall at Brunton Park while Pools lose at Bristol Rovers, with a six-goal swing in Carlisle’s favour, for them to get past Pools.
Northampton also need Pools to lose and to avoid defeat at Leeds – the third worst away record in league One against the best home record.
Brighton, like Northampton, are a point behind Pools, but they have a better goal difference and they finish their season at home against a Stockport team with nothing to play for pointswise, and a lot of financial problems hovering over the club.
Daft things can happen on the last day of the season, but Northampton’s defeat against the Dons has made Pools’ prospects of survival a lot brighter.
The simplest way to end the crisis would be to avoid defeat at Bristol Rovers, but it takes a brave gambler to bet on Pools getting anything in any away games this season.
But the chances of Northampton getting anything at eland Road appear to be slim, while Millwall will also be going flat out for a win because they have a chance of finishing above MK Dons in third place, which would earn them a more favourable play-off game. The team that finishes third plays the team that finishes sixth (Scunthorpe or Tranmere) while fourth plays fifth and Dons would probably want to avoid Leeds in the semi-final.
It’s looking better than it did for Pools, but it's not over yet … cross everything.
LEEDS BAITING (part 2) – in response to an overwhelming outcry from Leeds to our previous mention of their fans, we would now like to ask a couple of questions.
Are they going to bottle it in the play-offs again, like they did last season?
Are they good enough to survive if they do go up, or will they do a Nottingham Forest and struggle in the Championship?
Does anybody outside Leeds care?
Probably not.
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If you do go down have you the bottle to get back up?
Does anybody care in Hartlepool?
Proberly not
@ Clarence
I don't see many Leeds fans writing about Hartlepool
.
I think the word is obsessed.
congrats on staying up by the way
