Brentford v Hartlepool United

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By Albatross
April 28 2006

Hartlepool United and Brentford: last season we were both in the playoffs and faced each other four times, this time they are aiming for an automatic slot while we still have a lot to do to avoid relegation. What a difference twelve months can make.

With both sides wanting three points and a draw suiting neither, this could be either a tense, nervy affair or an all-action end-to-end game. Pools have found Brentford a tough prospect over the last two seasons, and there's no reason to expect that to change.

Pools have to try and secure their first away win at Brentford in more than 30 years, and their first one on their travels since beating Bradford at the end of November - we have no win in 12 games since then. Meanwhile the Bees last home defeat came against Doncaster just over a month ago - although they have drawn four of their last five overall, a run that has arguably cost them a chance of the title or at least of securing an automatic promotion slot. Now, like Pools, they have to aim to win both of their games and hope that other results go their way to achieve their goal.

To borrow a Snooker analogy, Pools need every ball on the table to get out of trouble; anything less and our only hope is snookers, a highly unlikely scenario! We would effectively have to hope that results for other teams go our way twice, and meanwhile we achieve the sort of victory over Port Vale that verges on club record territory. While there remains some talk of Rotherham having to take a points deduction this season - which would see them relegated for certain - I'd much prefer Pools to achieve safety without that, and it's certainly not something we can rely on. Beating Brentford and then Vale remains our best and close to only hope.

It's set to be another tense afternoon for Pools fans, and we're left to hope that we can upset the odds yet again. The fact that Brentford will be without Lloyd Owusu (injured on International duty with Ghana) may help, but even so Brentford will be strong favourites to win. Can Pools do it?