2021 saw Hartlepool United produced heroics and memories that will live long in the memory.

Fast forward to 2022, Pools are two games away from Wembley after a series of cup upsets this season. Tonight, they’ll have to overcome higher league opposition once again in League One Charlton Athletic if they are to seal a place in the semi finals of the Papa John’s Trophy.

While form in League Two has been somewhat shaky, their cup runs, in both the Papa John’s Trophy and the FA Cup, have given fans plenty to cling onto.

Graeme Lee’s side have beaten Morecambe, Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers on their way to the last eight of the competition. They host an Addicks side at the Suit Direct Stadium that have won two of their last seven games in all competitions but beat Fleetwood Town 2-0 at the weekend.

“I think everyone loves the cup and it’s exciting for us all” Lee told BBC Radio Tees Sport.

“The performances that we have put in the cup have been absolutely fantastic but I want them performances in the league.

“When you are playing against teams in the league above, the pressure comes off you a little bit with the mentality of the lads going into it with nothing to lose. You give everything you can.

“It’s a little bit like today when we went behind in the second half. We need to be like that in league games and in the start of games.

“We have been. Bristol Rovers, we were fantastic. We showed what we can do.”

Charlton Athletic manager Johnnie Jackson was recently named as permanent manager in December following the sacking of Nigel Adkins. With hopes of a spot in the League One play-offs slowly getting away from them, the incentive is there for them to win this evening.

Jackson told London News Online: “Ideally I would want to get a home draw – especially with the schedule in January that would have suited us,” said Jackson. “I wasn’t worried who the opposition were going to be.

“I’d been asked for my preference and that was for a home tie.

“It’s a long trip but it is a winnable game. We have to go up there and see it as an opportunity to get one step closer.”

Pools captain Nicky Featherstone is into his eighth season with the club and has been through all the highs and lows imaginable at the club. No doubt he will be riding high going into the game have played a crucial role in earning Pools a 1-1 draw with Stevenage thanks to a wonderful 25-yard strike in the second half.

While they’ve managed one win in eleven League Two games, Featherstone is happy with how things stand at the club given their position in the table and their from in the cup.

The midfielder said: “If you’d have said come January we were in the fourth round of the FA Cup facing Crystal Palace away which is a great tie for the club, we were two games away from Wembley in the Papa John’s Trophy and we’re eleven points above the bottom two, I think you’d have taken that.”

Meanwhile, Pools striker Marcus Carver is racing to be fit for the game at the Suit Direct Stadium.

The January signing was forced out of the weekend’s 1-1 draw with Stevenage having pulled up with the muscle injury in the days leading up to the game.

“He’s got a groin strain” revealed Lee.

“He came in and he impacted the side fantastically well in the Bristol Rovers game but fatigued after about 60 minutes.

“It’s hard for us to assess without looking at the games. You could see in the Carlisle one that he looked a little bit jaded.

“He’s an honest lad who wants to do everything and wants to graft so he says he’s fine. On Thursday morning he says he’s fine to train and do a little bit extra and he was with the lads who hadn’t played and tightened up in the warm-up.

“Unfortunately when we’ve checked it, it’s a slight groin strain. It’s not too bad. We pulled him out quick enough so hopefully he should be in contention.”