IF anyone was thinking Chris Turner's achievement of taking Hartlepool United to the play-offs was a straight-forward affair, think again.

Getting there once is an achievement, making it twice in a row is worthy of an award - the proof is how the other losers from 12 months ago have shaped up this season.

Barnet have been relegated, probably never to return to League football, while Darlington are glad to see the back of a miserable ending to a miserable campaign.

Pool, however, have gone from strength to strength and now face Blackpool over two legs with a final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium at stake. The first leg takes place at Bloomfield Road on Sunday, the second at Victoria Park on Wednesday week.

As Pool enviously looked on while Darlington celebrated a triumph over their biggest rivals 12 months ago in the play-offs, Turner insisted he would ensure Pool improved on last season's seventh-placed finish.

The unforgettable 21-game unbeaten streak propelled Pool into the top seven. Three defeats on the bounce last month has been more than corrected with three wins on the trot and a run of three defeats in 27 games is one any team would die for.

It's credit to the manager and players that they have improved and Turner's side now aim to put their losing experience from a year ago to good use as the Pool boss insists his side doesn't fear taking on anyone this time.

On this performance few would argue with his confidence.

Cardiff might have already been promoted - the cynics might say they had one eye on yesterday's Majorca trip - but there was no doubting which team deserved to come out on top on Saturday.

Craig Midgley, Anth Lormor and Tommy Miller turned around an early deficit to secure fourth place and a trip to Blackpool.

"We've got Blackpool, but it doesn't matter whoever you get in the play-offs - anything can happen'' said Turner. "We are away first which is what we wanted - we have finished fourth and we are the fourth best team in the League.

"We've improved over the last season and if we don't make it in the play-offs then we will do it again next season and go up.

"We've beat Blackpool twice this season and it might mean something psychologically to them so it might give us an edge or have a bearing on how the games will go.

"But we go there full of confidence and it's important that we get a result there because we can beat anyone at home. We've come from behind on several occasions at home, but we look to go to Blackpool and not concede because we can beat anyone here.

"We have the experience of last season behind us, but it means nothing if we don't perform on the day.

"People were jubilant because it was the last normal game and we have had an excellent year - no one can take that away from us. Back to back play-offs is a great achievement. Hopefully we can have two or three more great performances to get out of this division through the play-offs.''

Kevin Henderson missed the play-offs last season and to help ensure he doesn't miss out this time, Turner rested his 18-goal front man on Saturday.

But his replacement Craig Midgley gave Turner food for thought with an impressive display alongside the wily Anth Lormor.

"They both did tremendously well,'' said Turner. "We've got eight days to decide if Kevin is fit enough for Blackpool. I thought that the boys played some great football; Cardiff are one of the top three teams in the division.

"It's important that we are going into the play-offs on form and playing with confidence. We played 4-4-2 to counteract Cardiff and the boys handled it well.''

In front of the biggest crowd of the season, Pool went one down when former Newcastle junior Paul Brayson was played onside and he squared for Robert Earnshaw to clinically despatch.

One-up with promotion in the bag and their holiday to come, Cardiff were full of confidence and prompted by the powerful running of Josh Low, it took Pool a while to adapt.

But they struck back in style. Tommy Miller clipped the ball to the far post for Lormor to head back across goal and Midgley wasn't going to miss the chance to bag his eighth of the campaign.

Scott Young had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out because Leo Fortune-West, the gangly striker who Pool fans love to hate, was stood in an offside position.

The Pool defence was constantly manhandled by Fortune-West but Graeme Lee comfortably handled him both in the air and on the ground.

Lormor put Pool in front when Andy Legg's headed backpass fell short and he touched the ball past keeper Mark Walton who was stood in no-man's land.

And Miller made it three with another top-drawer goal to add to his ever-increasing collection. From a throw on the right, he danced into the area and clinically despatched his 21st of the campaign and his 37th in two seasons.

There might have only been minutes of the season left, but Cardiff's Lee McCulloch still found time to needlessly get himself red-carded. After hacking down Midgley on the touchline, he repeated his feat a minute later.