SATISFIED Hartlepool manager Mike Newell has no plans for changes to his title-chasing squad.

Pool have won seven of their last nine games and have not tasted defeat since the reversal at Hull City on Boxing Day.

That run has seen them extend their lead at the top of the Third Division to 11 points - the sort of form which means Newell is happy to keep the same starting XI.

A strong Pool reserves side disappointed in a 2-0 defeat at Scarborough on Wednesday and Newell admits the players on show at the McCain Stadium did little to persuade him they were ready for first-team action.

But the Victoria Park chief, whose side host lowly Swansea City tomorrow, insists he understands how difficult it must be for the fringe players who are not involved in his first team.

"It's made it difficult for the lads who are not in the team," said the former Blackburn Rovers striker.

"We are top of the table and doing well so how can we make changes when we don't have to.

"Knowing that we do have players in the reserves and on the bench who can come in and do a job is a nice position to be in for me, but I can understand the players' point of view.

"But it's also nice that we don't have to make changes."

Newell also revealed that talks are on-going with a number of players at Pool over extending their contracts.

Skipper Michael Barron, highly-rated young gun Adam Boyd and impressive centre-back Chris Westwood have all committed their futures to the club during the past week.

And Newell said: "We are still talking to players about new contracts and we are hoping that there will be a few more signing soon.

"I don't want to name names but when they have signed contracts we will let people know."

* Paul Brush was told to make ''significant cutbacks'' at Leyton Orient during a board meeting with chairman Barry Hearn on Wednesday.

The Orient manager has a large squad at Brisbane Road and knows savings must be made in the wake of falling revenues in the game.

But Brush will delay any decision on releasing players until a further board meeting next month.

Read more about Hartlepool here.