Pools Poole comeback hopefully edges nearer (From The Northern Echo)

Pools Poole comeback hopefully edges nearer

8:00am Friday 10th February 2012 in Sport By Nick Loughlin

JAMES Poole has not kicked a ball since Boxing Day - and Neale Cooper hopes his first chance to see Hartlepool United's leading scorer in action soon.

Micky Barron was in caretaker charge when Poole strained a hamstring in the win at Oldham, with Cooper appointed days later.

It was thought rest and treatment would see the striker return within a couple of weeks, but he has yet to kick a ball for the new boss.

Poole visited a specialist on Wednesday in the hope of engineering a return, but tomorrow's game with Bournemouth at Victoria Park is too soon.

"James was seeing another specialist yesterday, it's so frustrating for him and for us,'' admitted Cooper. "You get a bit down over it, as you do when injured. He had an injection to try and settle it down.

"He can't do much for a couple of days, it's about resting. But he's in doing work with the physios and can do a little bit of work without going too far.

"When he seems to lift to the next level he feels it again. It's strange as hamstring injuries only last a couple of weeks in a young lad, we have to wait and hope he's back soon.''

Training schedules have been disrupted this week, but the artificial surface at Maiden Castle, where Pools train in Durham was put to good use yesterday.

The Victoria Park surface has been covered and protected from the elements this week, and the club is hopeful the game will go ahead as planned.

"It's been frustrating, but the same for most down to freakish weather,'' said Cooper. "We have done all we can in training this week and used the 3G pitch at our training ground which has been great. There's a lot of games coming up, so we hope the wee break has done us good.

"We want to keep the momentum going and hope Saturday's game is on. We all want to play, but we have come in today at Durham and can't train outside - freezing rain has dropped on the surface and frozen over. But our pitch at home isn't normally too bad being next to the sea.

"We can only prepare and train and see where we end up.''

After last week's trip to Bury was frozen off, the Pools boss, who has led his side to four games without loss, said: "We want the game on, being by the sea it's not as bad as inland, but when you have managed at Peterhead, the weather here is fine! Don't worry about that, Victoria Park is tropical compared.

"In fact I don't think I've seen a nicer day in Hartlepool than last time out against Carlisle - perfect."