April Review: Too close to call

Missed
By Albatross
May 4 2005

April wasn't the best of months for Hartlepool United, although fortunately it wasn't too great for some of our playoff rivals either. A lot of issues in Division 2 are now settled though. Pools Online's regular monthly review looks at what's been going on around the League.

The best thing that could really be said about April from a Pools point of view was "at least it was better than March". Two wins, two draws, two defeats - distinctly middle of the road, and had our playoff rivals shown significantly better form than us we might be in a worse position.

It seems somehow fitting though that April saw the team that's top have the best record and the team that's bottom have the worst. Luton won five out of five on their way to the title; Stockport managed just one point from six games as their position at the bottom of the table was put beyond doubt. Elsewhere though, things proved less predictable.

Four other sides went unbeaten throughout the month, and although Colchester's record of five draws was less than impressive there was better news elsewhere: Huddersfield, Walsall, and most vitally Torquay all claimed 13 points from five games. Leroy Rosenior's side have gone from dead and buried to having survival in their own hands - and even if they do go down, Rosenior's achievement in giving the pre-season relegation favourites a fighting chance marks him out as a bright managerial prospect, in some ways even more than last year's promotion.

Ronnie Moore though must be wondering what he's let himself in for as Oldham failed to win a match and are flirting with the trapdoor. They should have been safe by now, but find themselves involved in a three way struggle to avoid relegation. Barnsley also failed to win over the month, but are secure in mid-table.

Quite a few issues have been setled in April, with Brentford's win over Wrexham settling a couple more. Luton won the title; Hull secured second spot despite winning just two out of five games. Tranmere have a playoff spot sewn up, while the Brentford-Wrexham result means that both the Bees and Sheffield Wednesday are sure of spots in the top six. Pools and Bournemouth contest the final place on Saturday.

At the other end, Stockport and Peterborough have both gone down, while despite a brave late rally Wrexham's failure to overcome Brentford has seen them relegated. There's no question that the ten point fine has cost them a place in this division for next year; while the rules are the rules, it does seem hard on them given the way they have been used and abused by various parties for their own ends. The next question for the Dragons is whether they'll survive into next season? Meanwhile, there's a three way fight to see who will benefit from their misfortune: MK Franchise currently occupy the place nobody wants, with Oldham just a point ahead and Torquay not quite out of the woods as although three points clear of the Frannies they have an inferior goal difference.

So with 45 games played the season enters the final week with Pools once again with something to play for. It doesn't do much for the nerves of Poolies though - forget biting our nails, I think we're onto biting other people's nails by now. Will we have reason to regret some of our April results? Or will the Cherries be wishing they'd remembered how to win at home? Come 4:45pm on Saturday, we should know either way.