MATTHEW BATES hopes a couple of days rest this week will have his Hartlepool United players ready to go again.

The caretaker boss saw his side give a rather flat performance on Easter Monday as they lost to Guiseley at Victoria Park.

Back at home today, and Pools take on Solihull, the team currently fourth bottom in the National League and who are seven points shy of Pools.

Bates gave his players Tuesday and Wednesday off to recover from their recent exertions.

He said:

“I think we lacked five to ten per cent of the intensity from previous games. The players did what I asked but it just wasn't there for us.

“Complacency was a concern for me. But chatting to the lads I know it wasn't that. It was purely tiredness.

“We have a small squad and so many games in such a short space of time was just a step too far.’’

Pools had gone five games unbeaten before Monday, winning the previous three in succession. The long haul back from Maidstone on Friday evening and game two days later proved too much for his players.

And Bates, who could be named National League manager of the month for steering Pools to a five-game unbeaten run, added: “It was a maybe a little bit of a reality check but the performance was there, we could have got a draw. “That wouldn't have been what we wanted but would have kept the run going.

“It was just one of them things. This happens in football.

“It's swings and roundabouts. Hopefully we will get a stroke of luck between now and the end of the season.’’

Pools beat today’s opponents in October and their fortunes have improved of late under boss Mark Yeats.

Victory would make Pools all but safe in the National League with five games remaining, but defeat would leave them in an all-too-familiar uneasy situation heading into the final run-in.

Bates added: “It is a big game, they are on a great run - they've only lost two games in their last 14.

“It is going to be a tough game. They remind me of ourselves. It will be a test but if we can raise the tempo from Guiseley there's no reason we cannot beat them.

“You can't not look at the table. We look at it, of course we do. But all we can do is keeping doing what we do. That's the message.’’

Pools have missed Liam Donnelly of late, first because of international duty with Northern Ireland under-21s and then he returned with an ankle knock which has kept him on the sidelines.

“We are hoping Liam Donnelly will train,’’ said Bates on Thursday morning at his pre-match press conference. “We will have to see how he has reacted to the treatment, we could do with him back.

“We will push it as late as possible to see if he can be involved.

“The ankle has swelling and there's some stiffness, but we will see how he is after some rest.

“But getting Ryan Donaldson back last week was a big boost. He has been chomping at the bit and is in contention for Saturday.’’