Hartlepool enter critical stage
Chris Turner today admitted Hartlepool United need to pick up points from both of the next two games to avoid their traditional second half of the season slump.
Pools head to Bristol Rovers tomorrow on a run of just seven points from the last 10 games which has left them an alarming four points above the relegation zone.
But a sixth successive away defeat is not a prospect worth considering with a daunting run of fixtures on the horizon after Tuesday's home encounter with Gillingham.
A failure to take at least three points from Bristol and the Gills would see Pools begin to slide down the table as they have done in three of the last four seasons.
With games against Norwich, Leeds and Southampton next up, Turner knows Pools can't afford to take the first steps to another freefall.
Director of sport Turner said: "I would think we have to pick up points from the next two games. Four or six points would be nice.
"I think we've got a better squad this year than last. The run-in last year was horrendous. The last six home games were against teams in the play-offs.
"The previous year we lost four out of the last six games and two years before that we got relegated. So second half of the seasons haven't been good!"
Turner has no fresh injury worries for the game and is expected to name the same side which lost 2-1 at Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night – keeping Pools' new 4-5-1 formation intact.
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
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