TREVOR CARSON and Jack Blackford are the latest players to sign new deals at Hartlepool United.

Goalkeeper Carson and teenage attacker Blackford signed on Saturday as Pools beat York 2-1 at Victoria Park.

Lewis Hawkins and Adam Bartlett signed on Friday, and boss Craig Hignett revealed more could follow this week.

Blackford agreed his first professional deal and made his first-team debut as a late substitute. The Hartlepool-born 17-year-old has attracted interest from both Manchester City and Aston Villa in recent months.

Hignett said: “Jack, has worked hard, he’s a smashing footballer and I wanted to make it a special day for him. He’s been training well with the first-team, and I knew full well I would give him his debut. He’s not quite ready yet, but exciting to watch.

“First-taste and you can be a rabbit in the headlights, but I’m delighted to have him and see where we go from here – there’s a lot of interest in him.

“Jack has signed a new deal, he’s a young talented lad with promise and ability. He’s signed a first pro deal, get involved at 17 years of age, one to remember and he could do onto a unbelievable career and he had to develop physically a bit.’’

Meanwhile, Matthew Bates admitted Michael Woods scored Saturday’s winning goal on his advice.

Centre-half Bates offered some attacking advice to the match-winner: "Before he scored he was hanging around outside the box and I was telling him to get in!

"The next time a cross came in, he was in the box so I had a bit craic with him and told him he should get in the area more often.

"He's got that in his locker, he can time his runs.

"We need him in the box more and try to score more goals.’’

He added: "We made it hard for ourselves but that sometimes happens when you are playing against 10 men.

"We scored the first goal and when they go down to 10 men you think 'happy days, it should be an easy afternoon' but York defended deep and made it hard for us.

"We conceded one from a set-piece which was disappointing but aside from that, I'm not sure Trev's had a save to make.

"We could may be have had three or four at the other end but that's football.

"We ground it out and got the three points."