Monky - goal

By Chrlie Summerbell
February 10 2013

Those of a nervous disposition should sit down with a strong cup of tea before reading the next bit: Hartlepool Unbited, doomed to relegation for weeks, could be off the bottom of the League One table by Tuesday night.

Yes, it’s true. The team that played much of the first half of the season as if it had a death wish suddenly looks good enough to avoid what had for so long seemed to be the inevitable.

The question is, have they got time?

A 1-1 draw at Swindon, where a win would have taken the home team to the top of the table, was fully deserved, making it four away games unbeaten.

And with things also looking up at home, Tuesday night’s home game against second bottom Portsmouth gives Pools that chance to climb off the bottom rung.

It was never easy at Swindon, there the home team ran them ragged in the first half but only had a Simon Ferry goal on 15 minutes to show for it.

Scott Flinders made some brilliant saves to keep Pools in the game and a sweeping move that ended with Andy Monkhouse scoring rom close range against his former club gave them their reward.

"All credit to the boys,” boss John Hughes told the club website. “They have shown spirit, determination and character to come from behind.

"We had chances and their keeper had to make a few saves but I'm honest enough to say we rode our luck at times and once again had Scott Flinders to thank.

“Sam Collins was a rock back there, organising, winning headers, making clearances.

"As a manager you don't like to single too many players out though so all eleven and the substitutes put a really good effort in to keep our run going.

"I'm absolutely delighted for Andy Monkhouse; I've left him on the bench and I may not be his favourite person right now but I've told him he has a part to play, they all have.

"We won't get carried away but the point today keeps the momentum going and the confidence high so we'll take that in to Tuesday night now."

The snipers are still going strong, but the fact is that Hughes has stopped the rot and turned the team round. He has transformed Pools from a joke into a team which suddenly looks good enough to stay in League One.

But time is their problem – they might only be a point behind Pompey, but they are 12 behind fifth-bottom Scunthorpe … they need a handful of teams to suffer the sort of nightmare they had in the first half of the season.