GORDON Watson is aiming for his own scoring record tonight.

Hartlepool entertain Scunthorpe at Victoria Park, with Watson aiming for a personal best goal number 13 of an impressive campaign. Watson has 12 goals in just 19 games this season - a total that equals his best seasonal tally, achieved in 1993-94 season when he bagged 12 in 23 games for Sheffield Wednesday.

The majority of Watson's goals have been spectacular efforts, but the 30-year-old has shown his scoring instinct in recent weeks as he notched close-range efforts against Orient, Shrewsbury and now Rushden.

He has scored in nine games, netting a brace against Rushden at the weekend and a hat-trick against Hull on November 4. Pool have won seven of the games in which Watson has netted, only dropping points at Rushden and at home to Shrewsbury.

And the former million-pound, top-flight striker has scored the first goal in each of Pool's last three home games.

"It's a big bonus to score from close in,'' he admitted. "I seemed to score from outside the area at first. I've scored most of my goals at home and now I need to score a few more in away games as well to make them count.

"It was nice to score the first again and long may it continue. But we beat Rushden and should really have been two or three up by the time I scored.

"It was a hard first half with the wind and we went out looking to put Mansfield behind us.'' And Watson was impressed with the quick impact made by loan recruit James Coppinger on Saturday. The Newcastle man set up Watson's second goal and he admitted: "He did very well out there. He gives us something good out wide and you can see his class.

"We have a good squad here and we know that if someone drops out then there is someone to come straight in. We've only lost two games in 11 so we are on a good run and we want it to continue.

"We have a big period of games coming up and we need everyone fit. We've a big squad and we will have to use most of the players in the next couple of months.'' Watson has outscored strike partner Ritchie Humphreys but was delighted to see his former Sheffield Wednesday compatriot get on the scoresheet on Saturday.

"Me and Ritchie go back a long way and I'm so pleased for him to score. He deserves his goals and he has been playing very well.'' Saturday's comprehensive win put the previous week's defeat at Mansfield to bed and Turner said: "Some of the football we have been playing warrants more. We have some good footballers here, some good players and some of the one and two touch passing has been very impressive.

"We scored five on Saturday and could have scored eight or nine. What more can people ask for?"

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