CHRIS Turner has an example in front of him - now his players and supporters must follow the script.

Turner leads Hartlepool into the play-offs for the third season in a row, aiming to follow the lead set by Blackpool last season.

After a semi-final defeat by Darlington 12 months earlier, Pool took on Blackpool striving for a Millennium Stadium final.

But they sank to a devasting defeat by Steve McMahon's side.

Pool were swamped by a sea of Orange in the first-leg at Bloomfield Road, going down 2-0 on a baking hot day.

That left Pool with it all to do in the second-leg, and again they went down.

But it was the first-leg which left an imprint on Turner and the Pool chief said: "When we walked out at Blackpool we hit a wall of noise. Some of our players were intimidated by it and it affected them.

"We need the same on Saturday from our own fans. We lost that game and we had it all to do. But this is a far stronger team than last year.

"There is a very good feeling among the lads and we will take it out with us on Saturday.

"I know that running out in front of a huge, noisy crowd can provide a massive lift to them.

"Success brings out the fans and we want to give them all something to cheer.''

Pool's home form of late has been exceptional, with thumping wins over Swansea, Rushden, Torquay and Southend - but Turner warned fans he won't be going gung-ho for victory this afternoon.

He said: "They are a dangerous team and we can't be going all-out from the start at them.

"It will be tough, there is no doubt about it. I think anybody who thinks that because we have won our last five games that we are just going to waltz through the semi-final stage to Cardiff will be caught out.

"I think we have a good chance if the team plays to its true potential, like it has been. We have as good a chance as anybody and I think the winner of this tie will go on to win in Cardiff.

"We are not uptight about it, we have just won five games in a row, so obviously we are confident about it all.''

Turner is looking to his big-game players for inspiration.

Gordon Watson and Paul Smith have made a huge impact since their arrival.

"They are big-game players - and these are the games when you want your big-game players to perform for you.

"I think we have been going into the last five games under a bit of pressure because they are games we had to win.We won at Oxford, then beat Plymouth and then we knew we had to win the next three games against Halifax, Swansea and Exeter.

"So now the pressure is off us in a way. My words to the players before the game will be 'go out and enjoy it'.''

Defender Graeme Lee is determined to see Pool through after suffering the torment of two successive play-off semi-final defeats.

Lee has painful memories of disappointing play-off displays against both Darlington and Blackpool to erase.

The 23-year-old was in the Pools side on both occasions, and this year more than ever he has a trip to Cardiff on his mind.

''Hopefully, fingers crossed, it will be third time lucky for us,'' he said.

''We'll have to be focused on the Saturday game first and getting a win and only then think about the match on Tuesday.''

The Robins have a good record against Chris Turner's side since their arrival in League football in 1999, winning both home and away this season, and this has not been ignored by the newly-crowned player of the year.

''I can only remember the away game,'' Lee said.

''We could have been one or two up by half-time, but unfortunately they scored twice just before the break and that killed off the game for us.

''We are looking to get revenge in the two games coming up.''

Cheltenham missed out on automatic promotion by one point, losing to champions Plymouth on the last day, but boss Steve Cotterill is confident he has lifted that initial disappointment.

He said: ''There was no point in trying to lift anyone on the Saturday because whatever you'd have said would have gone in one ear and out the other.

''Sunday was the time of getting myself back together and by the time I woke up on Monday I was fine - you have to be.

''Hartlepool came with a very late run and good luck to them. They're a good club and we're always looked after when we go up there.

''The play-offs are not a problem, they're just an opportunity.''

Club captain Chris Banks and midfielder Lee Howells are both ruled out through injury

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