Barker's break proves useful for Hartlepool

After starting this season's first 24 games, Pools' top scorer was left out for the home win over Tranmere on December 4.

He was on the bench for four games, but was restored to the starting line-up for the Boxing Day game with Leeds United.

And while Barker was unable to add to his 11-goal tally for the season, his performance showed the benefits of a rest.

He has 20 goals in 2007 since moving from Mansfield in early January and will be in the side to face Orient at Victoria Park tomorrow.

"Richard was excellent against Leeds,'' said Wilson. "There was only one reason why he was out of the side in the first place - he had run himself to a standstill.

"He has had a breather and looked a lot sharper and fresher for it. We needed our stronger players against a physical side like Leeds.

"I thought about bringing him in last week, but saved him for Leeds and he responded well.

"He took the decision in the first place very well. We talked about it and he has been in the game long enough to understand.''

He added: "Maybe it's the younger ones who are so keen to play every game who have a different outlook.

"But it was taken for the players' benefit as well as the club. He had run himself to a standstill.

"Doing it regularly becomes more difficult as you get older, even though the mind is willing."

Wilson has rounded on referee Lee Mason, who booked Godwin Antwi in the Boxing Day game.

It was the central defender's fifth booking of the season, which rules him out of the trip to Northampton on January 12.

Suspensions for accumulated bookings don't start until a week after the caution is issued. And, with Pools travelling to Carlisle on New Year's Day then having a blank Saturday on January 5, the Liverpool loanee must wait for his ban.

Wilson, who may have Ben Clark back from his hamstring trouble for the trip to Sixfields, said of the booking: "It was scandalously harsh. The ball hit him on the shoulder, which is an entirely different thing to a blatant handball.

"It was compounded by the decision just afterwards when David Prutton (Leeds' winger) handled the ball from a clearance and nothing happened.

"I didn't want him booked and I didn't want Godwin booked, I just want some consistency.

"It was a poor decision and it has cost me a player."

Clark has signed a new contract at Victoria Park. The central defender, who arrived from Sunderland in 2004, has played just 12 times this season following Antwi's arrival and injury, but was a regular in last season's promotion success.

Dave Penney has leapt to the defence of Darlington's Richie Foran after the combative forward was cautioned for a strong challenge in the Boxing Day draw with Rotherham United.

The visitors felt the tackle was worthy of a more severe punishment and referee Jonathan Moss first consulted his assistant before handing out the yellow card to Foran following his two-footed tackle on Marc Joseph near the dug-outs midway through the second half.

Joseph later limped out of the action, as did Foran with a hip injury, but the Millers felt the Irishman should have left the pitch earlier with a red card.

Penney, however, a dogged midfielder during his playing days with Derby, Oxford, Swansea, Cardiff and Doncaster, saw nothing wrong with the challenge by Foran.

He said: "If that's a yellow card offence then there wouldn't have been many players that would have stayed on the pitch in my playing days.

"You saw where the ball went, it went in the crowd because Richie won the tackle. Joseph took a thrown in, was sold short with a pass back to him so, in my book, Richie had every right to go for the ball.

"I thought it was a great challenge but the game's changed now. If I'd not been able to tackle like that then I'd never have played. I was a committed player, like Richie is, so I would've gone for the ball don't you worry about that.

"The ball was there to be won, I certainly would have done and I would've been disappointed in Richie if he hadn't.