MATCH PREVIEW: Hartlepool United (H)

Aldershot Town return to the EBB Stadium after a most welcome midweek break as they host Hartlepool United on Saturday afternoon. The Shots, who remain the league’s top scorers by a fair distance, will face off against the side who adversely boast the best defensive record in the division, in a tie that proves to be as intriguing as it is impossible to predict. 

Founded in 1908, ‘The Pools’ are inarguably among the most historically esteemed sides in the division at present. The club that notably gave Brian Clough a first stab at management have been a consistent figure in English professional football across the last century, having enjoyed Football League status for 96 uninterrupted years between 1921 and 2017, albeit exclusively between third and fourth tiers.

Relegated from League Two for only the second time in 2023, their current non-league stint sees the club attempting to make a third successive step-one season their last, as they come into the fixture just outside of the play-off places, with 14 points from 9 games.

RECENT FORM

With three wins and zero goals conceded in their opening four matches, the Pools made their promotion sights evident, sitting joint-top of the National League table going into Bank Holiday Monday. However, it may be fair to say that sky-high supporter morale has been on the gradual decline since, as while the back-line has remained staunch, finding the back of the net just twice across their last five outings, an otherwise near-perfect start to the new campaign is at risk of turning to frustration. 

• 13/09/25 – Hartlepool United 0-0 Brackley Town
• 06/09/25 – Forest Green Rovers 1-0 Hartlepool United
• 03/09/25 – Hartlepool United 1-1 Boston United (Charman)
• 30/08/25 – Hartlepool United 0-0 Boreham Wood
• 25/08/25 – Southend United 1-1 Hartlepool United (Sheron)

A 1-1 draw down in Essex would see both sides concede their first of the season. Skipper Tom Parkes put the ball in his own net after just 104 seconds to send the Shrimpers into a half-time lead, before Nathan Sheron’s heavily deflected first-time effort from the edge of the area levelled things, squeezing in off the near post.

Freshly promoted Boreham Wood might have considered themselves unlucky not to claim all three points at Victoria Park after peppering the goal of ten-man Pools. Already on the backfoot, defender Maxim Kouogun took down an onrushing last man in the form of Luke Norris to see red just after half-time, prompting impressive performances from his peers, who kept the affair goalless until its conclusion. 

A further home tie against Boston United started brightly as Luke Charman made an early claim for goal of the season after 23 minutes. However, the beginnings of a seemingly routine victory turned to frustration as a procession of guilt-edged chances went begging before Mani Norkett took advantage of some uncharacteristically abject defending to convert the Pilgrims’ only shot on target of the evening, levelling a game that would finish as such.

With form faltering, and an unbeaten record to protect, the timing of a visit to then-league-leaders Forest Green Rovers just three days later was less than ideal. With bright orange kits facing up against bright yellow, the weekend’s biggest clash in more ways than one went the way of the Green Army, who squeezed to a 1-0 victory courtesy of Kairo Mitchell’s close-range opener, finally inflicting defeat on the Durhamites. The Pools’ most recent outing saw them held to a goalless draw by the resilient back-line of step-one newcomers Brackley Town, a fate that the Shots can empathise with, having also taken just a point off of the Saints only the weekend prior.

While alarm bells may be beginning to ring for patrons of Victoria Park in a goalscoring sense, the side’s defence remains the least-leaky in the entire division, having conceded just thrice in nine games. In fact, the extent of this achievement may be somewhat unstated, as in the entirety of the 21st century thus far, no team has conceded less goals in a fifth-tier season after nine matches, level only with Stevenage Borough in 2007/08, I wonder who ended up getting promoted that year…

IN THE DUGOUT

Having spent 642 matches in the dugout at League One level or higher, potentially overqualified summer arrival Simon Grayson is enjoying his first season at step-one, having been entrusted with the task of returning the Pools to their perceived Football League home.

Born in nearby Ripon, the Yorkshireman’s arrival at Victoria Park marked a return to England, having spent significant time in Asia with Indian side Bengaluru, as well as Lalitpur City, whom he guided to the Nepali Super League title earlier this year.

To the uninitiated, the location of his two most recent employers may suggest that he is one of the league’s more obscure appointments, though looking further down his CV it is abundantly clear that Grayson is an incredibly proven manager in the English game. 

A specialist in returning clubs to former glory, he achieved promotion from League One with four different clubs between 2007 and 2015 in the form of Blackpool, Leeds United, Huddersfield Town and Preston North End. He also collected five Manager of the Month awards in this time, a league record bested only by Darren Ferguson (7) and Phil Parkinson (10).

This period of success ended distinctly in 2017, however, as the former full-back joined up with a freshly relegated Sunderland. A hugely disappointing stint – which would be made all the more public by a certain Netflix documentary – saw him relieved by Halloween, and would begin a succession of short spells at Bradford City, Blackpool and Fleetwood Town, all of which also lasting less than a year. 

With a reputation to reinvigorate, and having impressed thus far upon his return to the English game, the Hartlepool faithful will be hoping that his once-prolific promotion prowess is rediscovered in the North East.

PLAYED FOR BOTH

MATCH HISTORY AND LAST TIME OUT

Despite the significant distance between the two, Hartlepool United are certainly no strangers to the EBB, having shared 26 seasons in the Football League with the club between 1959 and 1991. They would first play Aldershot Town, however, in the second round of the FA Cup in December 2004, where a visiting Shots side were defeated convincingly by a score of five goals to one.

While a renewed Football League rivalry appeared likely following promotion in 2008, the club’s five-year stint in League Two ran directly in parallel with Hartlepool’s most recent third-tier foray, meaning the pair would have to wait a further 13 years to contest another fixture, finally meeting again in the National League.

Early bragging rights would stay south, as the Shots achieved a league double over the Durhamites on their way to a play-off berth in 2017/18. Although, having now met in the fifth-tier on a total of twelve occasions and counting, the Pools have since recouped their record, boasting six wins to Aldershot’s four. 

Games played: 13

Aldershot wins: 4

Hartlepool wins: 7

Draws: 2

Aggregate score: 15-30

Record Shots victory: 2-0 (2017)

Record Hartlepool victory: 5-1 (2004)

The sides last met in February, where the Shots – who found themselves entering the day in the relegation zone – emerged victorious in crucial and dramatic fashion. An own goal apiece made the score 1-1 at the hour mark, before Cameron Hargreaves put the hosts ahead. Spoils looked to have been shared late on as Emmanuel Deruvwe’s 80th-minute equaliser levelled things once more, though with just seconds left to play, Josh Barrett struck in the 94th minute to claim a vital three points, a result that would prove the start of a lengthy and season-saving unbeaten run for the Shots.

TICKET INFO

Tickets are available HERE, and are priced as follows, please note prices will increase at 10am on the day of the match, these are noted in brackets:

• ADULTS – £23 (£25)
• MILITARY PERSONNEL – £21 (£23)
• SENIOR (Over 66) – £21 (£23)
• DISABLED – £21 (£23)
• YOUNG PERSON (18-20) – £21 (£23)
• 15 AND UNDER – £8 (£10)
• UNDER 11 – FREE
• FAMILY TICKET (Two Adults, Three 15 and Under) – £48 (£52)

We strongly encourage buying tickets in advance or online to save queues in the Ticket Office before the game.

The Club Shop/Ticket Office is open for all supporters with cash and card accepted.

IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT

Live updates will be available from our social media platforms X (@OfficialShots), Instagram (@aldershottownfcofficial), and Facebook. After the game, highlights will be available on our YouTube channel.

The game can be streamed for overseas viewers via DAZN’s National League TV coverage. Click HERE to purchase a match pass.

There will be live commentary of the game provided by BBC Radio Surrey – listen online HERE