Coventry City Versus Hartlepool United

Coventry City went into Saturday's home league game against Hartlepool United with six points separating them from the play-off places, notionally at least although at least a 10 point penalty is now hanging over the club with a High Court hearing on March 22.

Off-field events rarely affect players, or so we are told, but the knowledge that a season's worth of effort could soon be going down the pan must surely be on the minds of those running out at the Ricoh Arena this afternoon.

Steven Pressley has maintained this week that there is a positive attitude on the playing side and he will be looking to his players to step up to the plate in the absence of in-form goalscorer Leon Clarke.

The Sky Blues put five past Hartlepool earlier in the season and prior to this game manager John Hughes called City the best team he had seen in the division but the Scot, like Pressley a former Falkirk manager, has turned around the fortunes of the North-East club to the extent that they go into the game only six points from safety.

"I'm really looking forward to the next two months, no matter what happens," Hughes, League One's Manager of the Month for February, told the Northern Echo.

"We might get success and we are heroes, or it might not go our way and people think I'm a numpty."

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