If our next two matches show anything, it's how the gap between Divisions 2 and 3 is less than most would have you believe. We face two of the other promoted teams from last season, and Wrexham are the lowest of the three of us in 11th place; only Rushden are letting the side down, in part due to approaching financial constraints that have seen Talbot jump ship and a number of their top names leaving recently.

However, Saturday's game is with Bournemouth - and is our third game on the spin against other playoff challengers. They are currently ahead of us only through Goal Difference - but have a match in hand, leaving them in pole position as far as sixth place goes.

Recent form is a little mixed, with a late goal from James Hayter being needed to earn them a 1-1 draw at home to Colchester last weekend; they had lost their previous home game to Blackpool. Away from home though they won their last match - at Rushden - 3-0, and before that beat sheffield Wednesday 2-0. Their overall away record is decent without being outstanding.

Their goalscoring record doesn't look too hot, but they can score goals and have hit six on two seperate occasions this season. The last time was when James Hayter came off the bench to score the quickest hat-trick in League Football against Wrexham, and Hayter is the leading scorer for the Cherries with 12 - not bad for someone that's played mainly as an attacking midfielder. Warren Feeney has scored eleven, but the Northern Irish striker may well miss out against Pools after picking up an injury against Colchester. Steve Fletcher looks a cert to start up front though: the former Poolie, with nine goals to his credit this season, is in his twelfth season on the South Coast and has played in more than 450 games for the club. In the absence of Feeney, he may be partnered by Hayter - other alternatives open to Sean O'Driscoll include a face that will be very familiar to Neale Cooper in Derek Holmes, a former player of his at Ross County.

Pools meanwhile look set to be facing this game with a very similar lineup to the one that beat Luton on Tuesday. Michael Nelson will not be fit - I suspect that Cooper won't be rushing him back; however the return to fitness of Mickey Barron provides us with more options. One would be to bring Barron into the centre of defence, releasing Tinkler into the midfield; another would be to bring him back on the right. Either way, it's creating some nice problems for Coops - the general feeling being that Craddock and Sweeney both performed well enough to retain their places. Barron on the bench? It's a possibility - and shows that we do have some strength in depth with our younger players making themselves part of the squad.

Eifion Williams picked up a minor knock but is expected to be fit; that leaves Cooper with the decision of whether to play our leading scorer or Joel Porter. Adam Boyd's turnaround from on his way out of the club to already pencilled in on the team sheet seems to be complete after an incredible burst of five goals in four games - what price that a month ago!

While we have been on the right end of three 4-3 scorelines this season, I suspect that there won't be so many goals in this game; with Pools need a win to move above Bournemouth into the playoff places, and Bournemouth needing the win to be sure of staying there themselves. I believe that this will in many ways be similar to our game at the Vic last season, where both sides effectively neutralised each other. A draw then, 1-1, with Boyd continuing his rich vein of form.

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