WHEN Hartlepool United faced Mansfield in November, Nathan Thomas was unplayable.

The then Stags winger simply tormented Pools. That sort of performance, however, was a rarity in a yellow shirt and boss Adam Murray was happy to allow him to return to the North-East in January.

Nine starts and eight substitute appearances for his former club in the first half of this season, compared to 14 starts for Pools in 15 games show the level of consistency he’s discovered of late.

The Teessider lines up for Pools this afternoon against his former club in the best form of his career to date.

A fine solo goal in Monday’s 2-0 win at Leyton Orient was his second for Pools, and his performances have been of a high level as Pools have made it six games without defeat.

"You always want to do well against a former club but Nath has so many we'll come up against one every week!’’ quipped Pools boss Craig Hignett.

"He's at a really nice place in himself, he's playing well and enjoying his football. He's been great for us, he was outstanding again at Leyton Orient, a real threat.

"I won't ask him to do anything different against Mansfield, my message to him will be to keep doing what you've been doing.’’

Both his goals for Pools have flowed from cutting in from the right flank and Hignett said: "He scored a great goal at Orient, he's got that in him and I've told him that any time he's got a one v one is get at them.

"We switched him right at the start of the second half at Orient because I wanted him coming in at goal, thankfully it had an effect, as it had at Barnet where we did that.

"He cut in there and scored a great goal.

"I'm pleased for him that goals are coming, he should be scoring double figures every season with the ability he's got."

Signed by Ronnie Moore in January, the former boss had an agreement with Stags’ boss Adam Murray that Thomas wouldn’t play this afternoon.

With Moore’s exit, that no longer stands.

Murray admitted: “It’s a bit frustrating as, at that time, it was a different manager and in these circumstances you have a gentleman’s agreement about players playing, but it’s been a change of manager now so we expect him to play and we will deal with it.

“We saw for probably two 90 minutes here that Nathan can be a good player.

“When he left we were all disappointed in the move, but we said at the time without going too much into it, it was more of a personal move than a football move.

“Nathan wanted to go back home and his performances of late have probably shown why he wanted to go back home.

“He is obviously settled and his head is settled and he is a character that needs that peace of mind in his daily life to make sure his football flows.’’

Goals have been a problem for Pools this season, but in recent weeks they’ve changed that around.

They still only have 37, but possess a new attacking outlook.

With Billy Paynter top scoring with 13, he’s flanked in a front three by Thomas and Luke James.

The Peterborough loanee has yet to notch since returning to Victoria Park on loan, but Hignett said:

“We hope to get him scoring and it’s not for the want of trying, but when he’s not scoring he still gives the team so much.

“He’s a pleasure to have about the place, he wants to learn, he wants to impress and is a really great kid.

“I’d love him to score, because when he does he will go on a run. We see it in training every day. He’s playing slightly different to what he’s used to, but he gets on with it.

“We have tried to be sensible, I don’t want him staying wide, I want him to get in and around Billy – I don’t want him out there crossing the ball, let the full-backs do that.

“He’s getting used to it, but it’s a new role for him. For what he gives the team defensively, he is as brave as a lion, gets whacked and gets on with it and a pleasure to have around.

“He can get in behind defences and makes good runs – we want him making runs towards goal not away and join in with Billy.

“Him and Nathan have done the job we ask defensively, but we want them to attack too.’’