The picture is becoming clearer in the National League as we round the corner into the second half of the season, and Sutton United are beginning to create space at the top of the table following an unbeaten run of nine league games in February and March.
Hartlepool United are one of the biggest names in the National League, or at least one of the teams with the most experience higher up the footballing pyramid, and have sat around the playoff places for the majority of this campaign. Striker Luke Armstrong, on loan from Salford City, has led the line admirably to the tune of ten goals so far with Rhy Oates chipping in another seven from midfield.
But a run of three draws in March, while table-topping Sutton bagged three wins, saw Pools and former pace-setters Torquay United fall off in the hunt to secure the single automatic promotion place on offer in the National League. With Sutton having games in hand as well as a points advantage on the chasing pack through March, bookmakers understandably view them as a heavy favourite to win promotion.
A playoff picture that will include six teams brings with it a lot of uncertainty, of course, and if Hartlepool do indeed find themselves in the season-ending mini-tournament then the picture is far less clear. That accounts for their 4/1 odds with some bookies to win promotion despite their current league position. However, when looking for good value with the best free bets it often pays to back a distant contender to mitigate the risk, and Hartlepool are a side playing well this year that could still play its way back into title contention.
Recent history has not been so kind to Hartlepool. Ten years ago they were a League One outfit, but have now spent three years – and counting – out of the Football League entirely. Nor have those three years promised much highlight-reel football to a loyal and vocal fanbase, carving out finishes of 15th, 16th and 12th since their arrival in the top tier of non-league football. They’ve had similarly bad luck off the pitch with the club narrowly avoiding administration in 2018 amid a revolving door of new ownership and coaching staff.
But things are looking brighter after playing their way into playoff and promotion contention this campaign and current owner Raj Singh has lofty ambitions of returning the club not only to the Football League but to their previous heights of football’s third tier, where they were a relatively steady midtable presence for six seasons before relegation in 2012/13.
Singh has spoken of his desire to reinvest in the club to support manager Dave Challanor and already in his tenure they have profited from savvy business – loan signing Armstrong is their top scorer this season and Hartlepool fans would surely love to have the 24-year-old back at Victoria Park next year. The only question remaining is: which league will they be playing in next season?
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