RELIABLE Chris Westwood is convinced Hartlepool United can compete with the best teams in the Second Division should they win promotion this season.

The centre-back, who signed a new two-year deal last week, has been influential in Pool's rise to the top of the Third Division.

And, while not taking promotion for granted, Westwood believes Mike Newell's men will not be out of their depth in the higher league.

But if Pool do go up Westwood believes there is no reason why the Victoria Park outfit should not be challenging for promotion again when the campaign restarts in August.

"I don't think there's that much of a gulf in class in the two leagues," said the 25-year-old, who will be at the heart of the defence against Swansea City this afternoon.

"We have got to be looking at promotion again. If we went up this season we have got to believe we can do it again.

"A lot of the teams who have gone up in the past have shown they can do more than just go up and be happy to plod along.

"Brighton have done it, Rotherham have done it - that shows that there isn't that much difference in class.

"First of all though we have to concentrate on the job in hand and we want to win promotion from this division."

When Chris Turner left to take over at Sheffield Wednesday in November, eyebrows were raised when Newell was handed his first managerial post.

But, after overcoming a mini-blip in December when Pool failed to win in three games, Pool were soon back on track and now they have extended their lead at the top to 11 points.

And Westwood insists Newell should be applauded for ensuring the table-toppers did not go off the rails.

"The old manager will get some credit, but the new manager should get just as much credit," he said.

"A lot of people thought it would all go belly-up when the new man came in, but it hasn't.

"We have still got the belief and if we get the success then the current gaffer deserves the credit.

"I think everybody has now got to look at it as though Turner has gone and Mike Newell has come in and just ticked things along. He is doing a good job."

Newell, whose side have won seven of their last nine games, has warned his players to be on their guard against Swansea - who have lifted themselves off bottom spot in recent weeks.

And the Pool boss is adamant his side are more than capable of extending their unbeaten run.

"Swansea have put some good results together and they caused Rushden and Diamonds problems recently so we cannot take anything for granted," said Newell, whose side have not lost since Boxing Day.

"They will be full of confidence because they've started to win a few games and pull themselves off the bottom.

"But we're also very confident and you can see that in the way we've been performing.

"It's not arrogance, we just know we are capable of playing good football."

The sides drew 2-2 at the Vetch Field earlier this season, one of the few points Swansea achieved under then boss Nick Cusack, whose first game in control of The Swans was the 7-1 thumping dished out at Victoria Park last campaign.

Meanwhile, Newell revealed striker Gordon Watson will have another scan on his ankle early next week.

Watson, last season's top-scorer, was injured playing for the reserves on Wednesday at Scarborough.

And Newell said: "Gordon will have a scan on his ankle on Monday and it's a case of keeping our fingers crossed that it isn't too serious.

Whatever the results of the scan it is another setback for him."

Read more about Hartlepool here.