CHRIS Turner is looking for his Hartlepool United team to turn up the pressure this season.

The Victoria Park manager is satisfied with the way his pre-season programme has gone and is likely to field his first-choice team this afternoon at Scarborough.

Pool kick-off their promotion campaign at Carlisle a week today and Turner has indicated his future game plan is expected to heavily involve a high tempo game, harassing and chasing opponents when they lose possession.

Winger Paul Smith is still likely to be missing today but Turner insisted: "The players starting at Scarborough are not 100 per cent certain to be playing at Carlisle, but obviously it will be more or less the team. We've done well against higher division teams in pre-season, but Scarborough will be more of a Third Division type of game.

"If you can go and pressure the ball against higher division players and put them under pressure and win the ball back then you can do it and be more successful against Third Division players.

"And with the quality players we have got we will create chances. No team can handle being closed down and harassed like that for 90 minutes.''

Pool drew with a Newcastle XI on Monday and a mixed side comfortably beat Barnsley in midweek and Turner added: "Against Barnsley we could easily have been five-up at half-time.

"They had one chance in 90 minutes. And one of the great things about that game was that we had a number of youth team players in there and they all performed exceptionally well.

"Then we had the likes of James Sharp and Jon Bass who didn't feature much in the first team in the last six months and they performed well.

"I said after the game that if they are not in the starting line-up at Carlisle on the opening day then they have to keep playing like that and when the opportunity comes they have to be ready to take it.

"We left several players out and gave them a rest because the Newcastle game was a bit of a late fixture and it is the sort of game you cannot turn down.

"We already had three games planned for the week, but the chance to play against the calibre of players Newcastle had was too good. But I didn't have any worries about playing a different team against Barnsley because we have a lot of good quality players here.''

Among those impressing against Barnsley was Matty Robson and Turner was full of praise for the left-sided youth team midfielder.

Left-winger Smith is struggling to be fit for next Saturday's Carlisle game - a scan yesterday revealed brusiing to a knee bone - and Turner said: "Matty is a young lad and he played very well.

"I know now if Paul Smith is missing and something happens to Ritchie Humphreys he is there.

"Martin Scott is doing a great job with the youth team. I want to utilise the squad here. There were no worries playing the young lads in midweek.

"I knew there was experience there in Watson, Henderson, Bass and Williams and they would help them. I have a squad of 20-odd players and they will all play a part next season.''

Tommy Widdrington could continue his return today. Turner said: "We're not going to rush him, but he could get 25 minutes.''

* A Scarborough spokesman last night said there are no plans for a pitch inspection and the game will go ahead

Read more about Hartlepool here.