Monky - striker

By Charlie Summerbell
November 23 2011

Desperate tosolve their Victoria Park problems and hoping to match their excellent away form with something like an acceptable home record, Hartlepool United now have two chances to put their five successive home defeats behind them. 

On Saturday they take on third bottom Yeovil, the only team in League One without an away win this season, while on Tuesday night Phil Brown’s Preston are at the Vic hoping to out an end to a run of eight games without a win that has seen them plummet down the table even faster than Pools.

Both those stats are enough to put the wind up any regular Pools watcher – when they play against teams who are desperate for a result one way or another, they do tend to be over-generous.

But there’s no scope for that this time – Pools have to be ruthless in both games and show their long-suffering home fans that it really was worthwhile buying those bargain season tickets during the summer.

The good news for Pools is that Peter Hartley, given his fifth book in the weekend win at Scunthorpe, won’t be banned because his yellow card has been transferred by the FA to the real culprit, Evan Horwood, by the FA after the club’s mistaken identity appeal.

It’s not know yet whether skipper Sam Collins, who missed the Scunthorpe game through injury, will be available again But boss Mick Wadsworth told the Northern Echo: “hopefully he'll be available on Saturday. But he's going to find it hard to jump straight back in the team.

"That's how we want it. He didn't jump straight back in last time either at Carlisle.

"It's going to be hard for Sam to get back in if he's fit because I thought Stephen Wright was absolutely outstanding again at the weekend.

"We're getting a settled side at the moment and hopefully we'll have no more injuries.''

With James Brown still hit by injuries, Colin Nish needing a knee operation and Adam Boyd not an automatic choice, Wadsworth believes Andy Monkhouse could be a natural choice at centre-forward.

He told the Hartlepool Mail: “He’s done a real good job for us. There’s every chance that he could now stay up front permanently.

“He’s learning it fast and I really think he could be a terrific player for us for a few years as a striker.

“I thought about it last year and played him up there a couple of times.

“He’s got all the attributes to be a good centre-forward. His heading is terrific and his hold-up play, bringing people into the game, is very good.

“He’s very difficult to play against as well and has definitely got a goal in him. They haven’t come this season but I think they will.”

If a few arrive against Yeovil and Preston, nobody at the Vic will be complaining.