NINE months ago and Hartlepool United’s aim was clear: to get out of this division.

It may not have worked out anything like planned, but they are doing their best to live up to the target.

Pools, under Craig Hignett, were aiming for the top seven. They failed. Pools, under Dave Jones, were aiming for mid-table. They failed. Pools, under Matthew Bates, have to win today to avoid dropping out of the Football League.

History is at stake, so too the club’s future.

Pools have to beat Doncaster at The Northern Gas and Power Stadium, while relying on bettering Newport’s result against Notts County.

Under Bates, his second game in charge after replacing Jones, they have a chance to make heroes of themselves.

He said: “The target for anyone in this league is the play-offs. Anyone can beat anyone in this league. You have to aim for the top seven and that’s been our aim over the last few years and it hasn’t worked and it hasn’t worked this year either.

“We haven’t been consistent enough, not for a few years now and we have to get a good run of results this season where you go four or five, six or seven games without defeat. That’s what you need.

“There hasn’t been a stage when we have done that so it’s been stop-start with a couple of decent results to look up and then you lose a couple and look down again. We are now left with one game to go which we have to win.

“Dave Jones coming in was a big thing, the feeling overall was good with his experience. On paper it was a good appointment, a very good appointment and not many people argued with it at the time. But it hasn’t worked, for a number of reasons and we all have our own opinions.

“Now we are where we are and we look at it for one game, a one-game shoot-out and we need a win.’’

Pools took only 13 points from 51 under Jones before his miserable spell in charge was ended.

Bates has enjoyed his short time in charge and got the players smiling and enjoying their work again.

Pools lost at home last time out, an outcome which cannot be contemplated this evening.

He said: “It was a gradual thing, not just under Dave Jones, it was a gradual decline over the last four to six weeks where we haven’t been able to get the wins on the board.

“It’s been a gradual transition to falling into trouble. The main one was Barnet when we lost and hit the bottom two – that’s when realisation kicked in.

“It’s not that long ago this club was going well, in League One. People say it’s a tough club to manage, but it has done well. The club has always been, for the size of it, been ran well, been successful.

“We have to try and get out of that cycle we have been in over recent years, whichever league we are in next year.’’

Bates, with Billy Paynter, Stuart Parnaby and Ian Gallagher alongside him in charge, has introduced some fun to training this week. The players had a mini World Cup as they trained at Victoria Park. Little things can build a lot of spirit and camaraderie.

He admitted: “It’s not been hard to keep them going and smiling this week in training.

“It sounds stupid, but it hasn’t been hard. There’s been a lift, a reaction from the players – their attitude and will to do well is there. It’s not been hard to lift them at all.

“Looking at us – myself and the three others in charge – they don’t do that and think ‘he is going to get us out of this’. They have taken it all on board, been fantastic. I’ve come from being a player to manager and they have treated me with great respect. I think they are taking it all in, there’s one game to go, and they have soaked it all up.

“It’s not been hard, we have tried to keep it easy for them, there’s no point in doing anything hard. We have tried to keep it fun, simple this week to let them recover from last weekend. The real work is done on Thursday and Friday.’’

Pools need a big favour from Kevin Nolan’s Notts. The former Newcastle favourite has impressed in his new role. They were recently, until his appointment, below Pools in the table.

Bates said: "I don't know Kevin Nolan personally, but I've played against him. I'm going to try to get his number, give him a text, see if they can do us a favour!"

“He's a young manager, he'll want to go there and win. He won't want to play a weakened side, he won't be disrespectful.

"He'll want to win for his own CV, Notts County are on a food run and will want to finish as high as they possibly can.

"They have good, experienced players, Jon Steads, Shola Ameobi, they want to win games.

"They won't be going there on holiday.’’