By Albatross
April 29 2006

Hartlepool United's fate will be decided on the last day of the season once again - and once again we're dependant on results elsewhere to help us. The draw at Brentford keeps us alive - but we need results to go our way next weekend. So it comes down to the final game again, and there's good news and bad news for Pools. On the good side, we've got a home game against a side already safe and that we've done well against in recent years; on the bad, we're dependant on the result of the game between Rotherham and MK Franchise at Millmoor.

First, the equation: If Pools win, then we will overtake Rotherham to safety if they lose to MK - who need either Pools not to win or to win themselves by six goals more than Pools to stay up. The only other team we can catch in theory is Blackpool - but that would need them to lose at home to Gillingham and for Pools to make up an unlikely seven goals on the Seasiders. Similarly, if Rotherham draw then we need to win by six.

The chances are still slim then, but one thing that will give Pools fans more hope is that in recent seasons we have taken things to the last day on numerous occasions and mostly come out smelling of roses. Here, for your delectation, are the results of our last game of the season over the last six years, and what was riding on it....

1) Bournemouth 2 Hartlepool United 2, May 7th 2005. In a showdown for the last playoff place, Pools overcame the setback of losing Neale Cooper in the buildup to the game to gain the point that saw us secure 6th place and a playoff campaign that took us to Cardiff. Daly and Sweeney were the heroes.

2) Swindon Town 1 Hartlepool United 1, May 8th 2004. A result that suited both teams, Adam Boyd continued a fantastic scoring run that helped Pools once again into 6th spot. Port Vale missed out, leading to speculation from some of their fans that the result at the County Ground had been fixed. Some of them remain bitter even now.

3) Rushden and Diamonds 1 Hartlepool United 1, May 3rd 2003. Despite a frantic last few minutes following Chris Westwood's equaliser, Pools couldn't quite pull off the victory that would have snatched the title away from Rushden. The Diamonds have now been relegated from the Football League, just three seasons later.

4) Exeter City 0 Hartlepool United 2, April 20th 2002. Watson and Williams were the scorers as Pools clinched the last playoff spot and the fans were invited onto the pitch to celebrate. Almost as important in clinching 7th was the contribution of Steve Howard, who helped Luton beat Shrewsbury to confirm the place for Pools. The playoff campaign would end in penalties at Cheltenham.

5) Hartlepool United 3 Cardiff City 1, May 5th 2001. Craig Midgely, Tommy Miller and Tony Lormor netted, but our slender hopes of catching Chesterfield for 3rd place would have needed about another 15 goals - and a defeat for the Spireites that didn't happen. Many Pools fans remain annoyed to this day - as if they had been fined more points for the "Cheaterfield" scandal Pools would have been taking third place in any case.

6) Hull City 0 Hartlepool United 3, May 6th 2000. Graeme Lee, James Coppinger and Kevin Henderson scored, and even after Gary Strodder was sent off Pools were never really threatened. Other results went our way too, and even though defeat by Darlington in the Playoffs dampened things down Pools fans were just pleased to be there after the struggles of previous seasons.

Four successes, two failures. Can Pools make it on the last day yet again? Next Saturday seems a long way away.....