TOMMY Widdrington last night hailed Ritchie Humphreys as a potential derby match-winner.
A week after the left-winger bagged a hat-trick in Hartlepool's 4-0 stroll over Swansea, Humphreys - and Pool - are striving for their second derby win of the season as they go to Feethams tomorrow for the final time.
Pool are on a ten-game unbeaten run, which has coincided with both Widdrington's return to the starting line-up and Humphreys' switch from central midfield to the left flank.
And Widdrington, likely to be up against close friend Neil Maddison at Feethams, believes Humphreys is in the form of his life.
Widdrington has witnessed each of the hat-tricks Humphreys has netted in professional football - the last time he was on the receiving end as Sheffield Wednesday thumped Grimsby 7-1 in 1997.
"Ritchie has been a revelation of late,'' he said. "It's come with him going out to the left and me coming into the centre.
"If anything, he's been influencing games even more from out there. I think he's suited to that role, so long may his form continue.''
Pool registered their biggest win of the season last week and Widdrington admitted: "The heartening thing for us was that even when they had 11 men on the field, we should have been three or four-up.
"We have been saying for a while that someone was going to take a bit of a beating and there it was.
"It was only 4-0, which isn't really a drubbing, but if you look at the chances created and the ones we missed, then you can see what I mean.''
Widdrington netted his first of the season and admitted: "My goal was a long time in coming.
"I average about one in ten and that was about the tenth game I've played in a row, so one was due.''
He added: "I know we are well ahead at the top, but no-one here is working things out. All we worry about - and I know we say it all the time - is the next game.
"If we keep winning and make sure Rushden or whoever are still looking up at us, there is no way they can grab us. That's how we feel about it. And while they are dropping points and we are not, they are never going to are they?''
Widdrington, man of the match last time Pool and Quakers met, added: "It's nice for us to say we haven't been beaten yet this year and we are two months in now.
"We are under no illusions, there will be games to come where we might not play well. But - thankfully - at the moment we are rolling along and playing well."
Read more about Hartlepool here.
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