By Albatross
February 20 2004

Hartlepool United have announced that Mark Robinson - now something like fourth choice at left back after being a regular last season - is being allowed to join Scarborough on a month's loan. With his contract up in the summer, Robinson looks almost certain to be leaving the Vic; his two month loan spell with Unibond League Spennymoor finished a couple of weeks ago, and now he's off to join the Seadogs for a month in the Conference.

Scarborough are currently 15th in the Conference, and while they're not in the thick of the relegation scrap just yet they do need to put a few results together. With something of an injury crisis affecting them at the moment, he's likely to find himself in the team for tomorrow's game against Shrewsbury.

There will be a few familiar faces at the McCain Stadium for Robbo; one of those currently on the injury list is former Pools loanee Steve Baker, while listed as being part of their sqaud are Glen and Gareth Downey, both former Pools trainees.

If anything though, this is even more than before a sign that Robinson has no part in Cooper's plans. Despite having been a regular last season - he played 39 times, and has now clocked up 90 appearances in all competitions - he has added just five starts to his tally under Cooper, and has found himself dropping further down the pecking order. After Matty Robson and then Andy Jordan were played ahead of him, he then failed to impress in his few opportunities in the first team this season and saw himself also overtaken in the first team reckoning by John Brackstone; the arrival of Hugh Robertson has also marginalised him. It's a fairly safe bet that if Scarborough want to agree a permanent deal with the 22 year old, Pools are unlikely to stand in his way.