GAVIN Strachan has played football with and against the best of them.

In his early years as a professional, the Hartlepool United midfielder was part of Coventry's Premiership squad.

While League One might be two rungs down from the top division, Strachan has no hesitation in holding Victoria Park team-mate Adam Boyd in equally high regard.

He looked on in admiration as Boyd's hat-trick against Sheffield Wednesday last week pushed Pool into fourth spot in the chase for a play-off spot and a route into the Championship.

And, as Pool head to Doncaster today, hoping to make the run-in a calm affair rather than having to go to Bournemouth in a fortnight for a decider, Strachan knows there's every chance Boyd can repeat his scintillating form.

"Adam Boyd was fantastic against Sheffield Wednesday,'' said Strachan.

"I've played with some really top-quality players in my career and Boydy is right up there at the top with the best of them.

"His third goal last week, and I really mean it, was one of the best I have seen.

"In those conditions, to have that much control and confidence is no fluke. His workrate was massive and he's deserved the three goals.

"He showed so much composure for the third goal. The keeper wasn't that far off his line, it's not like he was standing ten yards away, he was inside the six-yard box and he still managed to chip it over him.''

Strachan was back in the Pool starting line-up for the draw at Colchester a fortnight ago and, after a tidy show at Layer Road, was again influential against the Owls.

Last season he was forced to sit out the final games of the season after the emeragence of Tony Sweeney and admitted: "To be part of a performance like that last week is very special.

"I've played the last two games and I have really enjoyed it. It's not nice being on the bench looking on like I have been doing, I admit that.

"You just have to take your chances when they come and hopefully you get nights and performances like that one.

"That performance was something else, it certainly made things interesting.

"Our performances at home haven't been up to our normal standards of late but we turned it on against Sheffield Wednesday.

"We went out with the right attitude and it was phenomenal.

"We won a corner after a few seconds, got another, got a free-kick and then scored - it was a dream start.

"The manager and Scotty were saying how important it was to get a good start and that's exactly what happened.

"We followed their instructions at the start of both halves. Against Peterborough we were two goals up at half-time and maybe we relaxed a bit and eased off.

"But we started the second-half strongly on Friday and kept up the pressure. We were different class.''

Pool are in fourth spot but only two points separate them and Wednesday, who slipped out of the top six after losing at Victoria Park.

With a home game with Walsall to come next Saturday, Strachan said: "Other teams went into last Saturday's games looking up at us and we are in fourth position. Whoever lost the other night knew it was going to be hard.

"OK, Brentford have a game in hand, but at this stage of the season, with so few games left, it's nice to have the points on the board.

"Some people might look at it as pressure but this is what we want - we want to be in this sort of position, challenging at the top.

"It's all to play for and I'd much prefer the pressure at this end of the table than the opposite end.''

Pool were thankful for two late Joel Porter goals to get the better of Rovers at Victoria Park last November.

After being outplayed for long periods, Porter struck twice in the final stages to complete an unlikely turnaround and Strachan recalled: "Doncaster are a good team who will attack us.

"I remember the game at home earlier this season and they were on top for a long time.

"We go to Bournemouth on the last day of the season and I'd rather it be over before then, rather than being like the game at Swindon last season.

"Our fate is in our own hands and we want to get the points against Doncaster and Walsall so we can get in as good a position as possible before the last game.

"There's been a little bit of disappointment after dropping points against Blackpool and Peterborough because those four points would have made a big difference.

"But these things balance themselves out.

"We dropped points in those two games but I can think of games, like Doncaster and Bournemouth at home, where we won when perhaps we shouldn't have.

"We've three games left and we will go into those games, on the back of the Sheffield Wednesday game, with great confidence."

* Pool's Dave Brown was runner-up in the League One groundsman of the year award.

After winning last season's event he was pipped by Colchester United this time