You'll all love this!!

DANNY Wilson today insisted it is not too late for Hartlepool United to make a last gasp dash for the play-offs.
Pools head into tomorrow's clash with Huddersfield Town full of confidence after Saturday's 4-0 victory over Gillingham moved them to within eight points of the top six.

It was the first time since August that Pools have secured back-to-back victories with Tuesday's win at Oldham providing the perfect launch pad.

Any relegation danger seems to have vanished with the Gills remaining rooted in the last of the drop zone spots - 10 points behind Wilson's side.

But it will be far from plain sailing against the Terriers who are level on points with Pools and picked up an impressive 1-0 victory at Leyton Orient at the weekend.

And they will be spearheaded by a player well known to Wilson - Andy Booth who played under the Pools boss when he was at Sheffield Wednesday.

Wilson said: "It's never too late. There's 30-odd points to play for.
"You have got to have that belief that you can go and win every game you play in and that's the belief we have. Whether we will do or not is another matter.

"But I certainly feel we deserve a bit of luck that we haven't had in games and that might come in the back end of the season.

"It helps having a full complement of players from which to choose from. We are getting people playing in areas that they enjoy playing instead of chopping and changing things round.

"We have got people coming back to full fitness and match fitness which is good.

"I would like to think we can get consistent results. We have got more chance of doing that with those people in the team."

He added: "Huddersfield had a terrific result winning at Leyton Orient which is no easy game so they will be buoyant coming here.

"But if we can approach it like we have the last few games, it is no problem at all.

"If we get the result to go with it would be fantastic, but all we can ask is the commitment and the endeavour they showed against Gillingham and at Oldham.

"Andy (Booth) is a good player who has had a fantastic career. He is a handful. He has never been the quickest or able to run away from people but he is a clever player and we will have to be on top of our game to keep him in check."

Wilson felt the turning point of the game was Arran Lee-Barrett's penalty save when Pools were 2-0 up.

Lee-Barrett brought down Gills striker Simeon Jackson himself but referee Keith Evans decided to spare the Pools stopper a red card.

The former Coventry man took his opportunity to make a terrific stop from Adam Miller's effort from the spot.

"It could have been nervous at the end when they got a penalty, but it was a fantastic save from Arran and it really settled us down," said Wilson.

"It really knocked the stuffing out of them missing that penalty.

"The referee is closer than me but thankfully we haven't had a player sent off.

"My heart was in my mouth. You have seen players sent off for less than that.

"The whole complexion of the game could have changed.

"Richard Barker would have got the shirt if he had been playing but I would have thought Tony Sweeney would have gone in goal. Thankfully we didn't have to make that decision."

Pools scored four excellent goals to take the points, with Wilson reserving special praise for Joel Porter who ran from the halfway line before delicately chipping Gillingham keeper Derek Stillie.

Wilson said: "Before the game we would have settled for thre
e points no matter how we got them, but to play as well as we did and put a performance in as we did has been great.

"We got the goals when we needed them. We didn't fritter the chances away, we have taken them and that in itself gives you confidence.

"Confidence comes with results and if you get results everyone's confidence starts to grow and they start to believe in what they are doing."

He added: "That's the Joel I have heard of, not I have seen, but the one I have heard of. I thought he was fantastic and to finish off with the composure that he did was excellent.

"But I thought his link up play was good all the game. He brought people into the game, held the ball up well which is all we ask the strikers to do. But coupled with that he has got the ability to do what he did.

"Oldham was a great boost in the arm and I thought on Saturday you saw a very good performance."

Very complimentry towards Joel Porter in that article.

Now that might be his position, not so much dashing about.

I wonder what he's like with the LDB though ?

So you're criticising the statement "we can still make the play-offs"? Well we can can't we?

I beg to differ. The originator of this thread obviously thought Wilson's claims were laughable.

That's your inference.

If you believe it can happen ask Kevin Costner. ( field of dreams)

so it only took two back to back wins to halt our relegation form?
so why did we not do something about earlier
like pick a winning team or at least a team with a chance of a win

ooh, that's sounds like criticism

The optimist police will be feeling your collar Mr Gremli

Monkhouse actually confirmed in the Mail that him and Wilson "had a chat" but are "fine now" I think that implies what all know and things haven't been fine for a while and that has been to detriment of our team.

This season has all the signs of the Scott season. Too busy banging on about automatic promotion and playoffs to realise were in a relegation fight. Ok were closing in on being safe but no way are we making the play offs and the sooner we realise then the less disapointment there is.

We can make the playoffs. I can win the lottery on Saturday.

By the way Porter was dreadful for the first 20 minutes on Saturday, did nothing but give the ball away which im sure even Chip could see. After that something clicked and he was awesome.

He'll have realised he wasn't gonna be sustituted.

It hasn't really though has it?

We have only four points less than we got in that season with ten games left.

I don't remember us ever being top goalscorers at home that season either we couldn't hit a cows arse with a shovel our top scorer scored seven goals we've had four players on more than that this year.

We've never been that close to the bottom four, for example there has never been an instance were if we lost we'd be in it.

Apart from a coupe of real horror shows (Huddersfield away, Cheltenham home, and for an hour at home to Port Vale) it's bore no resemblance.

We are actually closer in terms of points to the play offs than fourth bottom so to say we are in a relegation fight is as daft as saying we are going to make the play-offs. I'm not happy with or satisfied with mid table mediocrity, but this season for the first time in years that's what we are. Don't go over the top all the time

Joel Porters goals this season....

Hartlepool 4-1 Oldham 1
Hartlepool 1-1 Swindon 1
Lincoln 2-5 Hartlepool 3
Gainsborough 0-6 Hartlepool 1
Hartlepool 3-1 Tranmere 1
Hartlepool 4-0 Luton 1
Cheltenham 1-1 Hartlepool 1
Hartlepool 4-0 Gillingham 1

I love Joel Porter, he's a quality player who has the ability to produce that moment of magic that makes turning up at the Vic worthwhile.

BUT, there's no way he's been consistent, he scored 16 goals in the 2004/2005 season. Since then its been 3 goals 2005/2006, 6 goals 2006/2007, he's starting to get back to his best, yes that's because finally he's getting games, but its also because he's finally having a run of no injuries.

His goals this season, 4 have come in convincing home wins, 4 have come against League Two and non league opposition. The goals against Swindon and Cheltenham were the only 'vital' ones. Now I know all goals are vital, but scoring in a comfortable win isn't as convincing as scoring the only Pools goal in a 1-1 draw.

Over the last three seasons Joel Porter has been INCONSISTENT, and thats because of injuries. Nobody has seen the Joel Porter of 2004/2005 until at the very most the last couple of games. I pray to god he stays injury free and continues like this until the end of the season, then we'll try and keep hold of him.

As for Monkhouse, that one has been answered by other people.

if certain players don't fit in with a manager's doctrine, then regardless of how good they are, even if the manager knows it, the manager will always want people in who follow his beliefs and fit in to playing his way - and release the ones who don't fit in his way of thinking. In such a scenario at Pools, I won't be renewing my season ticket.

I concur.

Has it bollocks. Only a cataclysmic disaster will see us relegated and there are still 9 games to go to make absolutely sure.
The worst spell we have been through this season is 1 point from three games. Yes I can see why that brought back memories, but it's over now.
Comparisons with Scott are quite frankly senseless.

Most of what Tree says is senseless. He was the same on Rivals.

Chip Fireball is spot on, and I too am anti-Wilson - he's an idiot

that is exactly what I said to Mr 3 Quid last night!!! Who is Wilson to make me have to watch people like Foley and Craddock, instead of Monkhouse and Porter?