Hartlepool United v Southend United: keep fifth place in sight
A game in hand, a chance to close the gap and one more away performance to find.
Six goals at Halifax is a lovely result to carry into another away trip. Now comes the useful part: turning that confidence into something at Hartlepool on Tuesday night.
The play-off place is ours, but the venue for the eliminator is still worth chasing. We start the evening sixth on 78 points, four behind Scunthorpe with this game in hand. Win, and the gap becomes one point with the final Saturday still to come. That is a clear enough incentive for another long journey north.
Enjoy Saturday, then start again
The 6–2 win at The Shay gave us plenty to enjoy. Oli Coker scored twice, Andy Dallas and Harry Cardwell helped build the first-half advantage, Gus Scott-Morriss added his 17th of the season and Leon Chambers-Parillon finished the job in added time.
More encouraging than any single name was the spread of the threat. Goals from midfield, a contribution from both starting strikers and another finish from a wing-back: Hartlepool have more than one thing to think about.
But Saturday did not buy us a head start tonight. Halifax had their moments before we pulled clear. We need the same willingness to defend our box and compete for the ball, alongside the confidence to attack. Sixteen points from the last 18 available in the league is a strong run; it still has to be earned again.
Pools have just reminded us
Hartlepool beat Forest Green 2–1 at the weekend. That result helped us move above Rovers, but it is also the most relevant warning about the side we are about to face.
They sit ninth on 65 points and cannot catch us. That does not make them short of a reason to perform. This is their final home fixture, and Nicky Featherstone’s last home match as manager before stepping down at the end of the season. Their supporters will want a good finish to an uneven campaign.
The earlier meeting at Roots Hall ended 1–1. We know there is a game here. Treating Hartlepool as an obstacle already cleared would be a quick way to waste the opportunity the table is offering us.
Tyrese Sinclair — pace we cannot give room to
Tyrese Sinclair is one I would keep a particularly close eye on. Pools brought him in on loan from York City in January, and he has the pace and directness to make things happen when a defender gives him room. He has already shown he can hurt teams in this division.
Alex Reid is another forward we cannot ignore, but it is Sinclair finding space around our back line that would worry me. Our wing-backs have given us so much going forward; when they go, we need the cover behind them to be right. I want us attacking Hartlepool, not giving them an easy way to turn us round.
And do not overlook the danger elsewhere. Reiss McNally has returned to the side and scored against Forest Green, so Hartlepool have another bit of confidence to carry into this game. We need to be aggressive without leaving Sinclair or Reid acres of space when possession changes hands.
Selection and the balance ahead
Kevin Maher has the sort of selection questions you would rather have: players finding form and Cardwell back in the starting side with a goal. The short turnaround also matters, with Wealdstone at Roots Hall on Saturday and the play-offs beyond that.
I would like to see us keep the attacking intent from Halifax, whichever players get the nod. Bridge’s work on the left helped create two goals there, Coker arrived in the right areas and Dallas gave us both a penalty and an assist. There are several ways to hurt a defence when those connections are working.
That is an argument for maintaining the approach, rather than pretending we know the team in advance. The confirmed line-up will tell us how Maher balances continuity with fresh legs.
Make Saturday interesting
A win would take us one point behind Scunthorpe and make the final day very interesting. A draw would leave us three behind with goal difference still a possible factor. A defeat would put fifth beyond reach. So there is a clear reason to go after the three points tonight.
We have just scored six away from home. I want that confidence in the way we play, while remembering that Hartlepool have just beaten Forest Green and will want to give their home support a good finish.
Keep the ball moving, keep giving the forwards support and be ready when Pools have their spell. We have earned the chance to chase a home eliminator. Now make the most of it.
Another long trip, with something worth bringing home. Up the Shrimpers.
Match details
Fixture: Hartlepool United v Southend United
Competition: National League
Kick-off: Tuesday 21 April 2026, 7:45pm
Venue: Victoria Park (The Prestige Group Stadium)
The position before kick-off
| Team | Position | Played | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scunthorpe United | 5th | 45 | 82 |
| Southend United | 6th | 44 | 78 |
| Hartlepool United | 9th | 44 | 65 |
Southend’s last five league results
Halifax 2–6 Southend · Aldershot 0–2 Southend · Southend 0–0 Solihull · Sutton 0–3 Southend · Southend 3–2 Braintree.
Next at Roots Hall
Southend United v Wealdstone — Saturday 25 April, 12:30pm.
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