Bouncing back will be a “tough ask”, admits Hartlepool United striker Padraig Amond

HARTLEPOOL UNITED striker Padraig Amond admits it will be a “tough ask to bounce back” after Pools’ 96-year stay in the Football League came to an end.

Despite beating promoted Doncaster Rovers on the final day of the League Two season on Saturday, Newport County’s late, late winner against Notts County condemned Hartlepool to the drop.

Amond knows all about the National League and what is needed to get out of it having helped Grimsby Town to promotion through the play-offs in 2015-16.

The Irishman was named the Player of the Year at our National Game Awards last season after netting 37 times in all competitions before moving to Hartlepool last summer.

His 14 goals in League Two weren’t quite enough to save the Pools and the striker won’t need to be told how difficult Non-League will be for the Victoria Park outfit.

“It has taken Grimsby years to get out of there,” the 29-year-old told the Sunderland Echo following Saturday’s disappointment.

“You have Wrexham, Tranmere, York City, who have gone again – all big, big clubs. It is going to be a tough ask to bounce back.

“Clubs who have been a fixture of the Football League get stuck down there. If you go out it is very difficult.

“The hardest thing about the National League is that only one team goes up automatically. Tranmere have got 95 points this year and could easily lose in the play-offs and not go up this year.

“You play lots of games. You play lots of those games against teams who have no support. In there they have a lot of Southern teams.

“It will be hard for them – the fans. All the travelling. For a player it is not an easy league to play in. It is not a passing league, all the defenders purely kick it and head it.”