Expect us to win down there. A reality check, with a change of formation, and a keep it tight, cautious approach should do the trick.

They have trouble scoring and have poor support, it could be the lowest crowd we have ever played in front of in a competitive match, around 600-700. With this is mind I would expect them to be near the bottom this season. They will see this game as a great one to get off the mark, as will we. Everything points to it being a tight game, with only maybe a goal in it, however there is potential for pools, if they're on their game , to run riot here , and win comfortably. Lets hope so.

One thing for certain, is its not a game we would want to lose , that's for sure.

As one of the most respected posters, horden, I rarely disagree with you but where did this idea 'if they're on their game' come from? Their game is distinctly sub standard on average in a poor league! OK we can sometimes have decent spells during a game but 3 point results require goals to be scored and we do not have the ammunition. If Davies is not fit to play we will struggle to get a draw at Braintree imho.

Living fairly local to Braintree have seen the match reports and comments. They are a young part time team Who despite promtion via the play offs seem pretty low on confidence. They have problems in central defence especially against a bustling centre forward and from set pieces. They are there for the taking but can Pools do it!!

If louis laing is back in the side then anything is possible tommorow, the spine of the team is almost last years failings again. We should have a really decent team, but its looked weak as piss these last two home games. Midfield overun by harrogate and then a lacklustre second half performance saturday.

I get your point dstanley. I did say IF though, and yes its a big IF. The idea is based on , Pools usually pull something out of the bag when everyone is writing them off. Braintree aren't no great shakes,as the poster above said, they are young , low on confidence and struggle to score , therefore I think we will nick it 1-0 but there is potential with our pace up front for us to win by a bigger margin. Avoiding defeat has to be a minimum though.

Coral odds for tomorrow.

Home 1.5/1
Draw 9/4
Away 1.65/1

Thats hardly an endorsement of Pools.

Another two points tossed away after conceding a last minute goal.

According to Radio Tees, Pools should have had this game sewn up by half time but poor finishing and a missed penalty kept part-timers Braintree Town in the game. Is fitness a problem for our full time players as all too often they are outplayed in the second half of games, even by part-timers?