By Albatross
March 18 2003

Hartlepool United take on Wrexham tonight in another tough away game. A win would go a long way to securing automatic promotion: but Wrexham want the points for their own promotion and playoff challenge. Wrexham currently sit in 8th place in Div3, and are nicely placed in having games in hand on most of the teams above them. Automatic Promotion is still a real possibility for them, showing how tight the division is once you get beyond us and Rushden.

They would be higher up the table if it were not for a few drawn games recently that they maybe should have won. Four of their last six games have finished level, including home games against Shrewsbury - a team they consider local rivals - and Darlington - who were reduced to ten men during the game. Like many teams, inconsistency has been the problem: earlier this month they lost at Exeter, before bouncing back a few days later to beat Rushden 3-0. A lot could depend on which Wrexham side turns up tonight.

Wrexham have the leading scorer in the division in their side: North-Easterner Andy Morrell has netted 26 times for the Reds. He's well in form at the moment having scored four in three games, and will provide a stern test for the Pools defence. He is likely to be partnered up front by Lee Trundle (8 goals). Trundle has already scored past Pools once this season, bagging Wrexham's second in Pools 4-3 win back in October.

Wrexham's preferred system is 3-5-2, with both Wingbacks tonight likely to be called Edwards: Carlos and Paul. Carlos is possibly the more dangerous player, the Trinidad and Tobago International has scored seven times this season and is the Robins' third top scorer. In the middle, Darren Ferguson and Jim Whitley look likely to be joined by Scott Green, with regular Steve Thomas out injured. Also missing tonight will be Stephen Roberts; the defender's place will probably go to Shaun Pejic.

The last line of defence of course needs little introduction: Andy Dibble had a spell at Pools, and of course also lost it somewhat at the end of our game in October, apparently having to be dragged away after offering the whole Town End out! With a lot fewer Poolies likelt to be in attendance tonight, it will be interesting to see the reception he gets - and gives.

For Pools, the team for the most part picks itself. The one question that remains is the one that has been in place for some time now: who will play up front? Marcus Richardson came back into the side on Saturday and didn't cover himself with glory - but did give Eifion Williams someone to work off. Meanwhile, Gordon Watson was champing at the bit on the sidelines and will have been disappointed not to get on the pitch.

Eifion desperately needs a goal, and tonight he is apparently going to have support from his home town - hopefully this will give him the boost he needs. I suspect that Richardson will continue up front, but hopefully we'll see some more of Flash tonight as well. 20 minutes or so tonight could mean he is contention for the game at Bristol Rovers on Saturday. With Paul Smith also making his return to first team action, there's a full squad to choose from.

After Saturday's "Virtuoso" performance from ref Mark Cowburn, the man in the middle tonight will be Premiership Ref Dermot Gallagher - currently ranked as the sixth best in the Premiership by RateTheRef.co.uk. Hopefully I won't be talking about him in my Match Report!

Prediction time then. So far, my look at the run-in has had the correct result five times out of five - though I freely admit that I haven't always got right how close the game will be! For tonight, I had predicted a defeat; I've changed my mind though and instead will go for a draw, 1-1 with Eifion to notch at last.