“It’s not long ago this was a League Two game,’’ mused boss Craig Harrison ahead of Hartlepool United’s game at Leyton Orient today.

The less said about Easter Monday 2017 the better. The insipid display, as Pools slipped to second bottom of the Football League as good consigned them to relegation with the Os.

They still had three games to go, but the nature of their performance, uninspired by the most uninspiring of managers, said it all.

Step forward five months and Pools appear to have bottomed out and looking like a football team again.

Four games unbeaten in the National League has restored belief and confidence in the club.

In a tight division, Pools have sights on the top seven after an indifferent start.

“This is a spell of former Football League clubs we are meeting – Dagenham last weekend, Wrexham Tuesday and now Orient,’’ said Harrison.

“It’s a tough week, but we are reasonably pleased with the points haul and a great way to end the week is with three points.

“They have had a good start and sit at the top end of the table right now, the league is crazy – they have been beaten two games in a row and are still a point off top. Dagenham were top last weekend and now they are eighth.

“Two games later it’s a drop and everyone is jostling for positions, we have to keep building on the foundations we have laid so far.’’

Results and displays have picked up since the home defeat to Fylde three weeks ago. That was as low as their last meeting with Orient was, if not worse.

“There’s a positivity about the place, it’s not been transformed as there was always belief from me and the players about where we were. It’s proved that the staff are doing the right thing by the results and performances we have had.

“It’s important the players stick together and maybe the Fylde game was the tipping point – everyone realised it wasn’t good enough.

“The emphasis from that was to work hard, be hard to beat, be an aggressive team rather than going out to play football first and foremost.

“At Guiseley we worked hard and have done since. In those four games the stats show we have won more individual battles and second balls all over the pitch than the team we have played. ‘’

Key to those improved performances have been the three-man midfield unit of Nicky Featherstone, Lewis Hawkins and Michael Woods.

The latter two have been busy in the last few games, setting a high tempo in the pressing game Harrison wants to implement.

The manager said: “Woodsy and Hakws have been key, two very fit lads who want to work hard who give us a real presence in midfield in terms of closing the opposition down.

“Behind them we have Nicky, who is a very good technical footballer but also who has won more headers and tackles than for a long time – a job he’s not familiar with and he’s been as fit as he has for a long time.

“Those three have been key.’’

Harrison was guilty of making too many changes in the opening weeks of the season, in both personnel and system.

Now he appears settled on a 4-3-3 set-up, and their hard work on the training ground is paying off, with the team looking very firm and organised.

“The team is organised, we have a structure and everyone has gone a gameplan but it is fitting around the players, their positives, etc,’’ he said. “The most important thing about any football club is the players.

“They need to be at comfortable with the gameplan.

“You forge a system around the players that you have. If you try to do it the other way you are fitting square pegs in round holes.’’