GAVIN Strachan has had enough of looking on from the sidelines.

The Hartlepool United midfielder will be back in the starting line-up as Pool go to play-off rivals Brighton this afternoon.

After being forced on to the sidelines since injuring a knee at Sheffield Wednesday on February 14, Strachan has suffered.

This season he has become an established part of the Pool side, finally pinning down a starting role after a smattering of appearances for five clubs since signing for Coventy in 1997.

Strachan's enforced absence saw him branch into a new area - commentating on games for the club website - and he admitted: "I didn't realise just how much being out injured would affect me. This is the first time I have played regular football. So in the past when I have missed out there hasn't really been anything to miss.

"When you play week in week out then sit in the stands and don't feel part of it, it gets to you.

"Doing the commentary helped me get through the games, it gave me something to look forward to and concentrate on.''

Strachan was introduced in the early stages last week, when Micky Nelson was forced off with a foot injury.

The big defender could be out for a month and Strachan admitted: "It wasn't the ideal circumstances to come in, with Nelse getting injured and we threw everything at them later on, but it wasn't to be.

"But I felt OK. I played for the reserves during the week before and it really helped me.

"It was a proper game as well - against Darlington. It had something about it, an edge to it.

"I'm glad I played because it gave me a bit of sharpness after a few weeks out.

"I felt tired after last week, but I had almost a full game under my belt and that was exactly what I needed.

"It's a big game against Brighton, but it's Luton next and it's two massive matches. Brighton can still go up and we both have it all to go for.''

He added: "We don't want to have to look back at the Brentford game and regret it. Let's see what happens in the last few games.

"Let's take the positives from the game in the way we played in the second-half.

"Our home form and away form are so different. We've been conceding a few goals at home in the last few weeks, which we hadn't been doing earlier.

"Maybe earlier in the season teams were coming here and thinking they could batter us, leaving themselves open at the back.

"Now they are realising it is different.

"But all season we have been proving people wrong and no-one can complain how the season has gone.

"We've brought a few new faces in and sometimes players come in and it takes time to adjust.''

Meanwhile, Cooper goes head to head with his former Aberdeen teammate Mark McGhee at the Withdean Stadium.

The pair won the European Cup Winners' Cup with the Dons in 1983 and Cooper briefly played under McGhee at Reading in 1991.

McGhee admitted: "I have no idea what Hartlepool are going to be like because Neale is not someone you can quantify easily.

"He was one of the youngest members of the squad and he was always a bit of a comedian in the dressing room, full of nonsense.

"He used to wind Fergie up to fever pitch and yet he could get away with it.

"He was a real box-to-box player with a great attitude and very physical.

"I remember him getting booked once straight from the kick-off when Celtic played us at Pittodrie.

"Fergie told him he had to stop Charlie Nicholas. As Charlie went to play the ball back to the centre half Neale landed on him, which set the tone."

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