JUBILANT Neale Cooper spent yesterday on the treatment table.
The Hartlepool United boss suffered pain during the elation of Wednesday's penalty shoot-out win at Sheffield Wednesday, tearing a hamstring as he raced onto the field to celebrate.
Gavin Strachan slotted home the winning spot-kick after heroic keeper Jim Provett earlier clawed out Dean Smith's blaster. And Cooper, who led Pool to a second dramatic win in as many games following the opening day thriller at Peterborough, was left in pain ahead of tomorrow's home game with Tranmere Rovers.
"I was in agony,'' said the boss who was again quick to praise Pool's travelling fans.
"I started running and just felt it go snap. What happened on Wednesday night was unbelievable, especially after the great comeback on Saturday.
"We were against a very strong team, who we knew would put a lot of balls into our box. The players have come up to a higher division and get credit for what they did, but I feel they have to believe in themselves a little bit more.
"After watching themselves in the last two games they should be doing it. They have nothing to worry about. I've been in football a long time and had never seen anything like Saturday; now I've never felt anything like what happened on Wednesday night.''
And while Cooper suffers injury pain, he feels the players need time to recover as well.
"I have never been involved in a game played in heat like on Saturday and now these boys have played 120 minutes and a penalty shoot-out a few days later,'' he added.
Rookie keeper Jim Provett, who was Pool's Hillsborough hero after making a string of fine saves, is likely to stay in goal tomorrow after regular No 1 Anthony Williams was axed following a shaky show at Peterborough.
Read more about Hartlepool here.
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