With eight defeats and three draw at the Vic, Pools have in theory dropped an amazing 30 home points. Yet on their travels they have only lost four times and drawn five – one of the better away records in the League.

Just three wins from those eight defeats – and let’s face it, they should have won most of them – would put them in the top six now, with every chance of staying there.

Sweeney told the Hartlepool Mail: “We are ninth now, but there’ll always be a case of what could have been. We could be a lot closer to the play-offs than we actually are.

“To lose eight in a row at home in the league just wasn’t good enough and we’re paying the price for that now.

“But you can’t dwell on hard-luck stories and we’ve just got to carry on as we are now, which is a good place in terms of confidence and results.”

On the play-offs, he added: “It’s not impossible and there might be one place up for grabs with seven, eight or even nine teams pushing for that.

“We just have to carry on in the manner we are and see where we end up.

“Finishing in the top 10 would be good in itself, but can we push for the last 15 games and surprise a few people? I think we can.

“The manager has come in and we’ve picked up massively and there’s no better way to get everyone buzzing than a play-off campaign.”

For now Pools have to hope that if they can maintain current form, they might just achieve something.

And in the next two games, they will have to rely on their away form, with a trip to Wycombe on Saturday followed by the rearranged game at Bury the following Tuesday.

In fact, the difficult Victoria Park game against MK Dons on March 3 is the only home game in five, with visits to Huddersfield and Walsall quickly following,

So Pools will have to rely on their away form and could do with the return from injury of James Poole, whose pace on the break can prove invaluable in away games.

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Can Pools still make the play-offs?

Posted by: The Box of Kippers (IP Logged)

Date: 22/02/2012 10:41

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