TWELVE months ago, Hartlepool United went into the Boxing Day programme with a long and proud unbeaten home run.

They lost to Barnsley that day, their 29-game stretch being ended by a two-goal Kevin Betsy salvo.

And with the striker now in the Oldham ranks, Pool - unbeaten and in great form at home this season -will be wary of suffering a similar fate this year.

Sunday's visitors have already beaten Pool twice this season - once in League One, when Betsy was on target on his Boundary Park debut, and once in the LDV Vans Trophy.

The striker spent time at Pool on loan this season, but his personal demands were beyond what Pool felt he was worth.

Pool skipper Ritchie Humphreys admitted: "We owe Oldham two from this season and we seem to have played them quite a lot in a couple of cup competitions as well in the last few seasons.

"Obviously, we need to keep the home form going.

"We are better off points-wise now this season than we were at the stage last year. It shows where we could have been with a couple of away wins.''

Last weekend saw only their second away win of the season. A comprehensive 5-1 win at Wrexham put Pool right into play-off contention.

With Bristol City - Pool's conquerors in the play-offs last season - waiting at Ashton Gate on Tuesday, Pool have a great chance to make a top-six spot a reality.

Pool lost at Ashton Gate in agonising fashion last season, conceding two late goals to deny them a place in the play-off final and Humphreys said: "Our next away game is at Bristol City - there's different memories from that.

"It's hard to accept at times because we achieved a lot last season, and we had it taken away at the end. Getting there was an achievement and going so close means we will never know what might have been.''

Mark Tinkler looked on as midfield partner Tony Sweeney scored two of the five goals at Wrexham.

It ended a run of eight successive League One away defeats and Tinkler admitted: "Before the game we would have taken anything but a defeat because the defeats were getting a bit too consistent for our liking.

"Just to stop the rot would have been nice but to win by that scoreline was brilliant.

"Sweens was awesome again with all his running and if he keeps on getting forward he is going to get a lot more goals.

"He gets some important goals for us, yet he is only 20-years-old and still has a long way to go."

While Tinkler joked that Sweeney saved his 30-year-old legs a bit of extra work in the engine room, he added: "He gets the glory with the goals and I'm a sitting player now.

"He is such a fantastic player and both he and Boydy can only keep benefiting this club."

Oldham have signed Blackburn defender Alex Bruce. The 20-year-old is the son of Birmingham boss Steve.

Boss Brian Talbot is also hoping to sign a striker after Jermaine Johnson was ruled out for three months with medial ligament damage. Talbot has until noon today to register a signing and Wolves youngster Leon Clarke is his target.

He already has midfielder Mark Hughes from Spurs, Neil Kilkenny from Birmingham and Lee Croft from Man City on loan.

* Colchester have completed the permanent signing of midfielder Neil Danns from Blackburn. He spent three months on loan at Pool last season.

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