Two years ago it was a novelty, last year it was a let-down, but this time around and there is a real determination among the players of Hartlepool United.

For the third season in a row, Pool have a chance of promotion through the play-offs.

Saturday's 2 - 0 win at Exeter leads to a double-header with Cheltenham, but although the players took the fans' plaudits at St James' Park, there was a steely outlook after taking the adulation. And that's because after such a momentous effort to get there, the players don't want to give up this chance and slip-up like they did on other occasions.

Six games ago and nobody gave Hartlepool United a chance. A 2-1 home defeat to Macclesfield left Pool in 11th spot and with five games ago, hopes of another assault were a million miles away.

Chris Turner, though, never gave up hope and if he steers Hartlepool United into Division Two, he won't need H'Angus the Monkey enshrined in the Mayor's Parlour to grant him the freedom of the town.

And even when Pool dropped to the foot of the table on two occasions - both after losing in the south west (at Exeter and Plymouth), Turner knew what his side was really capable of.

"The team has been tremendous all along," said Turner. "This was a comfortable win but it is a great achievement in the history of Hartlepool United.

"Now we get back in on Monday morming and start to prepare for Saturday. I think we have learned from the last two seasons and in those games we have played a form team in Blackpool and who I think were the best team in the Division in Darlington.

"They were two really tough games, but we realise that we have another two tough games now."

It's such a disappointment that it took 16 games before their season clicked into place. Even if it had happened six games earlier, Pool could have been talking about promotion because they ended just seven points away from third-top Mansfield.

Bottom with just 15 points after 16 games, Pool have taken 56 points from 30 games.

No coincidence that Paul Smith's first start for Pool was the first game of their revival, a 4-0 win over Hull at Victoria Park. Pool had scored just 14 times before Smith's arrival, they ended the League campaign with 74 goals and Smith has created 34 of them.

Yet the statisticans who draw up the Nationwide League's offical newsletter obviously haven't heard of him. In the latest bulletin, the list of most assists goes from Peter Beagrie (18) down to Michael Proctor (9) - and no Smith.

On Saturday he could only manage two helpings. It was from his free-kick that Gordon Watson opened the scoring and from his corner that Eifion Williams made the game safe. "We've won out last five games, job well done, and now we've got Cheltenham," said the former Burnley man. "It was two good goals for the strikers - but that's what they get paid for. We played Cheltenham off the park for 40 minutes and the result didn't reflect the way the game went.

"We reckon we can do it over two legs. I've every confidence in the squad, that's why I came here." Last season Pool beat Blackpool twice in the League and lost twice in the play-offs. Now they are hoping for a similar sequence of events this time around after Steve Cotterill's side did the double over Pool in the League.

Cheltenham expected to be celebrating on Saturday, they went into the game at Plymouth in third spot. Instead, it's a double header with Pool with the winners tackling either Rochdale or Rushden in Cardiff on Monday, May 6.

Facing Cheltenham means Turner will battle it out with a manager he has the upmost respect for in Steve Cotterill.

Two years back Pool pipped Cheltenham for the final play-off spot on the last day of the season and Cotterill was one of the first on the phone to congratulate Turner and this season the rivals have also been in regular contact.

"When we were bottom of the League, he rang me up," said Turner. "Told me to keep my chin up and the like. We had lost at Plymouth and they had just lost 5-0 at Hull and he said they weren't that good and we would beat them on Tuesday night.

"And when you are coming back from Plymouth and your next game is Hull and for a manager to come on and say you will win your next game is tremendous.

"And then he rang me back after the game when we had won 4-0 and said 'I told you so'. I have a good relationshup with Stevie, he has done a good job at Cheltenham. They have come from nowhere and joined the Football League and done well.

"We have come from the bottom of the league to make the play-offs this season, but with the help of IOR and the chairman we have lifted Hartlepool into a different league."

For big parts of this season, Pool have been playing football from a different planet as they have torn teams to shreds - play-off rivals Rushden spring to mind.

Saturday, though, was more about doing a job. This wasn't a flash performance - although Flash did open the scoring - but more like the controlled performances of recent weeks at Halifax and Carlisle.

Just like during the crunch at Hull to years back, an early goal settled Pool nerves. Smith's free-kick was blocked by the defensive wall and after he had a second bite the ball dropped into Watson's path. He took a touch and smashed in to send the 1,000 visiting fans wild.

At half-time, with Rushden and Shrewsbury both losing, Pool were sitting in sixth spot.

Rushden soon turned it round and went in front at Halifax, but there was no way back for Shrewsbury against Luton.

Exeter should have levelled. Graeme Lee - captain in Micky Barron's injury-enforced absence - tripped Steve Flack, but Sean McCarthy sent his penalty woefully wide. It was so bad that even if it was heading for the target and creeping inside the post, Pool keeper Anthony Williams would have stopped it with his eyes shut and one hand tied behind his back.

But after that miss Pool soon made it two. Smith's corner was headed at goal by Lee and predator Williams was there to turn it in.

From then on it was party time for the supporters and H'Angus celebrated as if he'd already been elected. If the winning run extends to eight games, they'll be the mother of all parties in Cardiff on May 6.

Read more about Hartlepool here.