By Albatross
February 20 2003

As Hartlepool United continue to set the pace at the top of Nationwide Division 3, fans of a lot of other clubs are ready to hand us the title - or promotion at least. It's hard not to get carried away - especially when they're not the only ones tipping us for the top..... If you believe the Bookies, then it's a foregone conclusion: Pools are going to win Division 3. Several Bookmakers have stopped taking bets completely, while the best odds available from those who haven't closed the book are 6-1 on - in other words, to make a tenner you'd have to put £60 on.

With 67 points from 32 games, it's not too difficult to see why. Our record compares well with that of Champions Plymouth last season, who were on 70 from 33 games, and although Rushden have a game in hand, an eleven point gap looks difficult to make up.

Or is it? We've got some tough games between now and the end of the season, and a lot may depend on how well the squad holds up. Gordon Watson's ankle injury looks likely to further delay his return to the first team, and against York we looked like we could have done with that extra physical presence and guile of Flash to break down the solid defensive unit we were faced with.

And that may become a common problem. Our terrific run towards the end of last season may well have something to do with teams looking at our league position and not at how we were playing; this time round many more clubs will be looking to put the shutters up, and not just at the Vic.

Then there's the fact that many of the clubs we're playing shortly have plenty to fight for. Swansea were hammered by us last season, but to be fair they had nothing to play for. This time, they are fighting for their lives at the bottom. Following that, there's the Derby at Feethams, a tricky away game to Lincoln - still fighting for a playoff spot - Bury at home who will be trying to stay in the automatic promotion hunt, and then a home game to Southend - possibly the next team we will face with little to play for, though even now they may feel they have a sniff of the playoffs. Add to that games at Wrexham, Bristol Rovers, Kidderminster and Rushden, and home games with Bournemouth and Rochdale and you start to see that this is a long way from over.

Having said that, it would take a disaster for Pools not to at least finish third. Even allowing for teams with games in hand, it would be difficult for anyone to cut the gap to 4th place to less than 15 points - and to earn better than a point a game more than Pools for 14 games is a big ask.

Automatic Promotion is the main thing. What about the title though? It would be very nice to finally put some silverware in the Victoria Park Trophy Cabinet, and to do that we probably need to get to about the 90 point mark. Time for me to do a bit of predicting about the games we have left.

Swansea (H) - tougher than it looked. Suspect we'll scramble a win though.

Darlo (A) - All the cliches come out for this game, form book out of the window etc. We should win - but I think we'll have to settle for a draw.

Lincoln (A) - A hard game, and I think we'll just lose out in a tight contest.

Bury (H) - We drew at their place, and I think we'll do the same at the Vic.

Southend (H) - A win. Southend may well be ready to settle for mid-table by this point.

Wrexham (A) - A defeat. I hope not as I'll be there, but....

Bristol Rovers (A) - Battling against the drop, a bruising draw.

Bournemouth (H) - They've been blowing hot and cold, I reckon we'll get the win though.

Kiddy (A) - I'd be happy with a draw here.

Orient (H) - Should be another win.

Scunny (A) - Draw.

Rochdale (H) - They should be safe, so an entertaining game and a win.

Shrewsbury (H) - Another win.

Rushden (A) - If I'm right, we'll hopefully have it sewn up by then - so I reckon we'll end on a low note with a defeat.

So I'm predicting P14 W6 D5 L3, to leave us with 90 Points. Will it be enough? Hopefully yes. However, every team we play will try and raise their game, and something tells me that it's not so much champagne football we're likely to see as grim battles for points against tough defences. In the meantime, let's all hope that no matter what the Bookmakers think, the players know that it isn't all over until the fat lady sings. And she's not even warming up yet....