Boss ready for Pool...
WE GO into Saturday's game on the back of two really tough games this week at Crawley and Tranmere.I was really pleased with the reaction of the players and the performances that they put in. We certainly feel that we should have won at least one of the games, but we'll take the positives.
There were some really impressive individual displays, but at the end of the day, we're still searching for that elusive win. We're going in the right direction and doing all the right things to get that victory.
It will be a tough game against Hartlepool United, but certainly not a defining game. They have a new man at the helm who will bring fresh ideas to the place, so we know that we are going to have to work hard and be at our best.
I watched Hartlepool push Tranmere all the way recently and it will be a case of making sure that we do what we're good at and keep progressing.
We've had a lot of Saturday-Tuesday matches recently, so we'll be using next week to recharge the batteries and get ready for the challenge that awaits us over the festive period.
I was delighted to be able to bring in Craig Westcarr on Thursday. We know what he is capable of; he has pace, holds the ball up well, links the play and can also score goals. He will certainly be a useful addition to our squad.
And finally, Saturday is Community Day with around 1,500 youngsters and parents from local schools at the game. We did something similar against Hartlepool a couple of years ago and went on to win that game convincingly, albeit after finding ourselves two goals down early in the second half. We don't want to go two behind on this occasion, of course, but we'll certainly take the three points!
I hope that all involved enjoy the game and come back for more...
DEAN SMITH