THIRTEEN months on and, for Ritchie Humphreys at least, it seems an eternity.

Chris Turner's Hartlepool United side were still in the getting-to-know you stage when Darlington paid a visit to Victoria Park on August 25.

And Darlington headed back along the A66 with a 2-1 win, while the Pool team were still coming to terms with the new season.

It took three months for Pool to kick into first gear last season; this campaign they have motored along without hitting any of the heights reached last season and still go into today's derby in second place.

Humphreys has played a major part in Pool's progress of the last 12 months and admits: "Saturday is all about pressure and high-tempo again, just like Tuesday against Tranmere.

"We know playing your rivals always makes for a difficult game. Perhaps there won't be so much football being played early on, but it is up to us to earn the right to play the football.

"Last season's game at home seems such a long time ago now. The team has come on leaps and bounds since then and that seems a long way off, especially when you think about how we played that day.

"I certainly think we'll give a better account of ourselves. Of course, there is a bit of a revenge factor coming from that result with it being our local rivals.

"It's always great for the supporters to put one over on your local rivals.''

Today is only Pool's second home Saturday game of the season - the other a reverse to Macclesfield on August 17. Pool entertain Lincoln on Tuesday night and Humphreys is desperate to put Tuesday's Worthington Cup exit to bed and build on the unbeaten four-game run away from Victoria Park.

"Of course we were disappointed to lose to Tranmere,'' he admitted. "But now we have two home games coming up. We've done well away from home and need to carry it on and build on the good start to the season.

"We've kept the same squad together this season and proved from the last few Saturdays when we have been away three games on the trot that we can come back home with points.

"We've not been beaten away and now we need maximum points from these two games.

"I think the manager has said that even though we are sat second in the table, we've not really played as well as we can. We can still pass the ball a lot better than we have.

"In patches we have showed little bits of our game, but we can definitely improve.''

Pool bowed out of the Worthington Cup on Tuesday, going down 2-1 to Tranmere.

Turner's side had two big penalty appeals rejected in injury time, but Humphreys believes there are plenty of positives to be taken from the disappointment of defeat.

"It was so hectic towards the end the other night. I think the first one defiantly - we had one given against us like that at Swansea last Saturday,'' he mused. "The second one, maybe you get it, especially so late in the game.

"But I think we showed against Tranmere that we can match teams from a higher level.

"Right from the kick-off we knew we would have extra time on the ball and we like to move the ball around - we've done it well this season.

"But after they scored we got on top of the game and we created a lot of chances.''

Humphreys has spent the majority of his career at a higher level, and knows this Pool side can still move up a notch up the football ladder.

"You always find you get more time on the ball the higher up you go and then it becomes a problem when you need that final ball to break down the opposition.

"I thought at times against Tranmere we came up against a brick wall in their defenders and it showed that it is the final ball which counts.''

l A crowd in excess of 6,000 is expected today.

The Town End is sold out with only a handful of Cyril Knowles Stand tickets remaining. Darlington last night had 180 tickets left after failing to sell their allocation of under 1,000.

Home tickets are on sale from 9.30 until noon today.

* Special rates apply to anyone booking an executive box for Tuesday's game with Lincoln at Victoria Park - £350 plus VAT for a party of 12, including a carvery meal. Details from John Breward on 01429 272584