Safe .... but Pools can't afford to relax

They might be virtually safe from the usual end-of-season relegation worries, but that doesn’t mean Hartlepool United are in for a stress-free run through their remaining League One games. in fact, it looks like being a bit of a slog for Mick Wadsworth and his players.

After achieving what is generally regarded as safety by clocking up 50 points, Pools have lost three games on the bounce in a run which must surely have taught people connected with the club to stop mentioning the p-word – play-offs.

Let’s face it, with their alarming inconsistency and even more worrying weakness in front of goal, Pools don’t really have a right to have an eye on the top of the table.

The squad has demonstrated time after time that while it might be good enough to get the odd good result, it’s also bad enough to get just as many bad ones and perhaps they should just be relieved that despite all their problems, they have every chance of being in League One again next season.

On-loan striker Ryan Donaldson has gone back to Newcastle after two months with the club during which he didn’t score so Pools must rely on the old guard for the goals they need to add to that half-century of points.

James Brown and Adam Boyd are good enough to solve any team’s scoring problems, but they have hardly had their best seasons, while top scorer Antony Sweeney has been out with his ankle injury.

With Neil Austin also out and Evan Horwood and Andy Monkhouse both carrying injuries, Pools are hardly at full strength and Wadsworth told the Northern Echo: "I don't think we are in as good a shape as we have been and that's not an excuse because it's the same for all teams, it has been a tough old programme," said Mick Wadsworth, who could still make a summer move for Donaldson.

"It has been a big miss with Neil Austin and Steve Haslam was fighting to be fit for the Rochdale game. Evan Horwood has got quite a sore ankle and we just don't have the cover in some areas.

"Paul Murray was a big miss and obviously so is Tony Sweeney, without him we don't have as much goal threat as we have had in other games. But it happens and we have to deal with it."

Pools have slipped from tenth to 13^th and are again closer to the bottom than the top, so they could do with halting the slide when they go to Swindon on Saturday.

Ex-Pools boss Danny Wilson has gone, but Swindon are still second bottom and looking increasingly desperate as they fight against relegation – but then so were Walsall when Pools went there a couple of weeks ago, and look what happened then.