Hartlepool come into this one in really good shape, having won four of their last five matches, with the one setback being a heavy loss. Southend are also playing well, winning three and drawing one of their last five, so both teams arrive with confidence. That makes this look like a close contest between two sides that are hard to beat at the moment.

Recent meetings between these two have mostly been tight and low-scoring, with several goalless or one-goal draws, although their most recent game was a wild one with plenty of goals. Given how evenly matched the teams look and how often these meetings have ended level, this one is likely to finish as a draw.