Chris Kinnear hopes Hartlepool will allow Nicky Deverdics to stay at Crabble for the rest of the season.

Just as he predicted after returning to Dover on a month’s loan from League 2 strugglers Pool on February 8, the 29-year-old has made a ‘seamless’ return to the club where had spent the past two seasons.

Deverdics was one of the players of the season in Vanarama National League last season, scoring 14 goals from midfield and notching a league-high 18 assists but has found first-team opportunities at Victoria Park hard to come by under new boss Dave Jones.

After returning, he has immediately rekindled his rapport with Ricky Miller in his first three games back and had a hand in two of the striker’s three goals in last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Eastleigh.

Solihull Moors at home on Saturday (3pm) could be his final game and Kinnear said: “His loan is up after Saturday but we want it to carry on.

“It is not up to us. If it was, we would love to have him until the end of the season but we are waiting to hear what (Hartlepool) want to do.”

Kinnear predicted the promotion race will go down to the wire, adding: “There are a lot of sides up there and a lot still have to play each other. Of course, we’d love to win it but if that’s not possible, then we want to make sure we are in the play-offs.

“If you’re not top then it doesn’t really matter if you are second or fifth, so long as you are in there.”