DISAPPOINTED midfielder Darrell Clarke is convinced Hartlepool United can still claim a Third Division play-off place.

Clarke signed for the Pool in the summer confident that this season would end in promotion with his new club.

And following the postponement of Chris Turner's side's second game in ten days on Boxing Day, they are sat in an lowly 15th position going into tomorrow's home tie with Leyton Orient.

And Clarke, who will then be with the squad to travel to Hull on New Year's Day, admitted: "Looking at the League table is frustrating. When I signed I thought we would have been up there challenging at this stage.

"The two postponements have not helped either because we were beginning to play some nice stuff.

"Against Orient I'm sure we will be able to get back on track though and make sure that we do not lose too much ground on the teams in a play-off place.

"All we need to do is pick up a couple of good wins and then I can see us getting back amongst it - we can still get in the top seven."

The 24-year-old, who grabbed both goals in Pool's last outing at Luton which ended 2-2, is being played right midfield under Turner. And that is a position he admits has taken a little getting used after spending most of his career as a centre-midfielder.

"I always was a player who played in the middle," said the former Mansfield man. "But I am adapting and I feel I am playing better the more I play there.

"Against Luton it was nice to get on the scoresheet - even if one was a bit lucky - and I would like to score a few more."