Craig Hignett reckons Wednesday evening's trip to face York City (7pm kick-off) will give his players a more accurate marker of what is to come in the new National League season.
The Bootham Crescent outfit have improved their squad during the summer and will begin the 2019/20 campaign as one of the favourites for promotion from National League North.
And according to Pools boss Hignett, that makes them ideal opposition for his side at this stage of pre-season as the players look to get themselves ready for the big kick-off in just over a fortnight.
“I think this will be a proper test and a good gauge for us,” Hignett told us.
“It's hard because we've played Northern League teams and done quite well and then played Middlesbrough who are a Championship team and a few levels above.
“I thought we coped really well but that little bit of quality at the end of it wasn't quite there but the York team we'll face on Wednesday will be closer to what we're going to get in the new season.
“All the games now are that sort of level; York, then Sheffield United Under-23s and then Macclesfield Town so I would expect them all to be in and around the standard we'll be playing.”
Hignett will utilise a similar squad to that which took on Middlesbrough on Sunday, though defender Myles Anderson is hoping for his first action of pre-season at Bootham Crescent.
Ryan Donaldson should be back in full training this week after a calf problem but the York game will come too soon, while Mark Kitching's back spasm is also likely to rule him out of facing The Minstermen.
The game will also see Hignett run the rule over young Huddersfield Town left-back Romoney Crichlow-Noble who is in training with the Club this week.
Click here for all the ticket information you need if you're heading to York for the game.