Hartlepool United 1 Crawley Town 0 RECAP: Reds sunk by late Pools winner on opening day

“There’s only Joe Grey really,” Challinor said. “Obviously Joe has come back and we’re still being a little bit careful with him.

“He’s the only one that’s anything significant and you can say he’s definitely not going to be involved in the game.

“Apart from that, I think everyone will want to play. It’s a special day for the football club, especially for the supporters and a day that every single player would want to be walking out of that tunnel with a starting shirt on their backs in order to go and hopefully perform and make it a special day for us in terms of coming away with three points.”

The Pools boss said: “Crawley will undoubtedly provide a tough test for us as will every game this season but it’s the same thing as I said in the National League.

“The thing at the start of the season is you go into it a little bit less prepared because you don’t have many games to go off and personnel can change quite a bit during pre-season.

“You can have ideas but what we’ve seen of Crawley is minimal and the information we’ll be giving players is probably less than what you will later in the season.

“You have to trust in the players’ abilities to make good decisions on the pitch and get answers on the pitch.

“We can help from the side and what we think will happen but the reality of what happens on a Saturday can be very different so it’s important our players are able to recognise the way to win the game and open the opposition up. Hopefully that will be the case.”

Molyneux was a bit part player in Pools’ promotion season but is ready to play wherever he’s needed in order to get on the pitch regularly.

“In pre-season I’ve been in quite a few different positions,” he said. “I’ve been up front, centre-mid, played in a 10.

“I’ve been all over the place but I’m quite an adaptable player, I just like to get on the ball and I’m comfortable on the ball wherever I am on the pitch so wherever the gaffer wants me, I’m ready to play in those positions.

“I’m comfortable anywhere but as long as I have one set position I can play week-in, week-out then it’ll be fine for me. Still if I need to do a job somewhere else, I’ll do it.”

Can’t wait to be back here. Who will be heading to The Vic this afternoon?

How are the nerves?

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“You always want to push and compete at the top end of the table but as a consequence of that, staying up becomes the first thing you do,” said the Hartlepool manager.

“It goes without saying that if you target 70 points then you need to get to 10, 20, 30 points first and that’s no different this season.

“With everything that has gone on, we’ve become a Football League club and our first priority is to make sure we remain a Football League club.

“We’d love that to be secured by January but if we have to wait until later then so be it.

“That has to be the first thing we tick off because it gives us a platform to go and achieve whatever is above that.”

Pools have signed nine players over the past month in preparation for the new season.

Goalkeeper: Jonny Mitchell (Derby County)

Defenders: Neill Byrne (Halifax Town), Reagan Ogle (Accrington Stanley), Jake Lawlor (Harrogate Town)

Midfielders: Martin Smith (Chesterfield), Tyler Burey (Millwall, loan), Matty Daly (Huddersfield Town, loan)

Forwards: Fela Olomola (Scunthorpe United), Mark Cullen (Port Vale)

Hartlepool United’s last competitive game was certainly one to remember as they beat Torquay United on penalties in the National League promotion final.

Watch loan goalkeeper Brad James save Matt Buse’s sudden death spot kick to send Pools back to the Football League.