Pool must be on the Mark

The Seasiders head to Meadow Lane this afternoon knowing four points from their last two games will realistically be enough to see them finish in the top seven, with their goal difference vastly superior to those sides chasing them.

Cullen knows it will be a tough test against Kevin Nolan’s Notts County side.

However, he believes if they can pick up the three points then it will take off the pressure for their last game of the season against a Leyton Orient side bottom of the table and already relegated.

Cullen said: “We want to finish in the play-off places so to get the three points here would take us into the last game looking quite comfortable.

“When you get to the end of the season and you’ve got something to play for it always makes those last games extra special.

“The fans are usually in good spirits as well and it should make for a good occasion.

“Notts County will be a strong, physical side and they will look to get the ball up early to the two big lads up front.

“We will have to get ready to win the first and second balls all game.

“Then, when we get it, we will have to impose ourselves on them as well.”

Pool are in good form ahead of today’s game, having kept their 15th clean sheet of the season during their comfortable 3-0 win against Cheltenham last weekend.

Cullen was among the scorers in that game to take his season’s tally to eight.

“It was probably the most comfortable we’ve been all season in a 90-minute game and that started from the very beginning.

“We were on the front foot and we managed to get the goals we needed.

“It would have been nice to get the fourth and fifth goal to really put it to bed but we settled for the three and what was a really comfortable win.

“We’ve kept three clean sheets in a row now which has given us something to build on.

“We’re capable of scoring goals in most games as we’ve proven throughout the season so if we can keep a clean sheet we will win more than we lose.

“Obviously I want to score as many goals as possible and if I can manage to beat last season’s nine then that would be a good season for me.

“The goals have been spread out quite a lot and there’s a few lads with six and seven, so it’s been good.

“We haven’t had to rely on just one person to score the goals to get us up the league.”