Henderson injury is blow for Pool

The Hartlepool frontman, who has just returned after suspension and a calf strain, damaged medial ligaments in the reserve game with Halifax.

He has had an MRI scan and Pool are expecting the results today. The initial diagnosis is medial ligament damage, which would mean a long lay-off for the striker who netted 19 goals last season.

Midfielder Paul Stephenson will have an operation tomorrow to clean out his knee and could be sidelined for three weeks.

Meanwhile, striker Gordon Watson was yesterday still on a high after blasting a hat-trick in Tuesday's win over Hull.

The triple salvo was Watson's first since breaking into the Charlton team in 1989 and took his tally to six goals in ten outings since signing for Pool in September.

"It was such a high because I scored lots of twos and ones, but this was my first hat-trick,'' he admitted. "I probably could have had five or six, but I'll settle for three.''

Watson trains with Portsmouth during the early part of the week, before travelling North and admitted: "I was training with Pompey on Monday, scored five or six, and Neil McNab said I was flying.

"There was a little lad on the far side watching us warm up before the game and I said that if I didn't score he could have my boots.

"I got through the first three or four games on adrenaline then had a little slump, but I was confident and I said before the game it was the best I had felt.''

Watson is now calling on his teammates for a repeat performance against Exeter tomorrow.

"We are not a team that can play well when we don't work hard,'' he said. "We outfought Hull and we wanted it more. I took the huddle on the pitch before the game and said if we play like we did last Saturday we would win and we owed the fans one.

"Against Oxford we created one chance - against Hull we created ten. It was an excellent performance, but it will mean nothing if we don't work hard against Exeter.''

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