Pools have weekend third-top target

Win at home to Bury on Saturday, and you could go to joint third in the League One table - that's the bait for Hartlepool United as they attempt tio extend their record-breaking unbeaten start to the new season.

They dropped from sixth to seventh in midweek as they took an enforced break when so many others were in action because original opponents Preston were in cup action, but the results were by no means bad for them.

Stevenage climbed above Pools with their 5-1 demolition of “big club” Sheffield Wednesday, while Danny Wilson’s Sheffield United were hammered 3-0 at home by Huddersfield.

Saturday’s visitors Bury lost again, this time at Chesterfield after their weekend derby defeat at the hands of Rochdale, and Richie Barker will be coming back to Victoria Park desperate for a result against his old club.

Another popular former Pools striker, Eifion Williams, will also be back at the Vic for the game, a guest of the club there to meet and greet fans before the kick-off.

Unlike Barker, he’ll be hoping for a home win and on current form anything other than that would be a surprise.

After a couple of stutters, when they drew games at MK Dons and Stevenage which they should have won, Pools are motoring now and as usual in football, success breeds confidence and confidence breeds results.

Mick Wadsworth’s squad is recovering from a series of injury setbacks, and the boss has a few big decisions to make before Saturday, most notably whether to bring back skipper Sam Collins. After missing three games through injury, he went on as sub for the second half at Carlisle and played a huge part in a successful rearguard action.

But at the moment, it appears that no matter who plays, the team performs well – they could get that third-top reward if they keep it up and other results go their way this weekend. If they hadn't dropped four points at Dons and Stevenage, they would be joint top now anyway.