SHUNNED by his team-mates three weeks ago, everyone wanted a slice of Antony Sweeney on Saturday.

The Hartlepool United midfielder netted a tidy hat-trick as Pool's impressive home form continued with victory over Chesterfield.

At Milton Keynes on September 25 it was a different story as he was red-carded following a petty bust up with Izale McLeod as Pool went down to a horrible defeat.

A three-game suspension followed, but Neale Cooper had no hesitation in pitching the 21-year-old straight back into the fray.

And how he was rewarded as Pool moved to tenth spot, just four points behind second-placed Brentford where they go tomorrow night.

Sweeney put Pool two goals to the good after only eight minutes and then, after their advantage was squandered, popped up to nab the winner and the match ball with seven minutes remaining.

He was a man in demand as players, staff, press, fans, sponsors and chairman alike all sought him out. Last time, he cut a lonely figure on the team bus as it motored up the M1 from Milton Keynes.

Call it 'bouncebackability' if you like.

"Out of the midfielders at the club he is the more natural to break forward, he goes from box to box and runs through and out of the middle of the park,'' said Cooper.

"He's got the best engine when it comes to getting forward. He can really get away from the opposition.

"I don't want to even try and compare or build him up, but he plays the game a bit like Steven Gerrard. Of course, Gerrard is exceptional, but Sweeney has similar characteristics in his game.

"He closes down quickly, uses the ball well, gets all over the park, gets up for headers well and can score goals - he's an all round very good midfield player.''

The manager added: "He's learned from Milton Keynes and what happened then. On the bus on the way home no-one wanted to speak to him!

"But he knows what happened there and he has worked away in training and carried it on into the game.

"There was no qualms about putting him straight back in.''

It took Sweeney just two minutes to make his mark. Adam Boyd - not for the only time during the game - mesmerised the visiting defenders with a piece of top-drawer skill.

And, as he turned two of them out wide after chasing what looked a lost cause, cut the ball across the six yard box and Sweeney ventured forward to tap in.

The second came from the opposite flank. Eifion Williams took the ball through three defenders and his cut-back was directed to Sweeney on the edge of the area. With the backline all over the place, no one checked Sweeney's run and he steered the ball across keeper Carl Muggleton into the far corner.

Sweeney's treble came after Muggleton made a fine one-handed block to keep out a firm shot from debutant Steve Turnbull and Sweeney reacted first to notch from six yards.

But the game should have been sewn up by then. Pool had conceded two goals as Chesterfield - a much improved side on last season - found a way back.

Cooper said: "It was a massive win, because it comes in the middle of three away games. We got off to a great, great start.

"We made hard work of it, but it could have been three after ten minutes and that would have been game over - Boyd hit a shot that just missed and if that went in, the game was won.

"We were dealing with them well - even with the big man up there it wasn't a problem. But the penalty gave them a lifeline.

"It was never a penalty, Jim (Provett) touched the ball away, but when it's given you expect the keeper to be sent-off and thankfully he wasn't.

"But it was criminal defending which led to the penalty and we have to stop doing it. The goal gave them a big lift and then they equalised.

"Credit to them, because Chesterfield are a decent side, but we stepped up a gear in the last 20 minutes.''

The Spireites' lifeline came when Micky Nelson left a ball for Provett to collect, but striker Wayne Allison nipped in. Provett went to ground but seemed to knock the ball away only for referee Phil Prosser to give a spot kick as Allison tumbled.

The Dutch First Division game between Den Haag and PSV Eindhoven was abandoned on Saturday by the referee because he was getting - what he thought - was too much stick from the terraces. A new FIFA directive apparently allows the official to do so at his own discretion.

After Prosser's decision and subsequent crowd reaction, perhaps the idea had crossed his mind.

Shane Nicholson scored to give the visitors a hope after a hopeless start. Then, minutes in the second period, the tricky Jamal Campbell-Rice and Allison combined to tee up Mark Stallard and he stumbled the ball over the line.

Pool's former boss Chris Turner was watching from the stands, guest of the club's Norwegian owners who were over for the weekend, and he always believed a two-goal lead is the hardest to defend.

So it proved on Saturday.

But, aided by the introduction of Turnbull, Pool moved up a notch in the last 20 minutes. He confidently passed the ball around and wasn't afraid to shoot.

Humphreys should have put Pool in front, but connected too well with a left-foot volley from eight yards and thundered over.

Then Boyd saw his right-sided corner returned to him and a stunning outside of the right boot shot was destined for the far corner before Muggleton's intervention.

Result: Hartlepool 3 Chesterfield 2.

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