A SPELL out of the team could be the way to get Denis Behan firing on all cylinders again.

The Hartlepool United forward has disappointed in recent games, stark contrast to the positive impression he made in his early outings for his new club this season.

Signed in the summer from Cork City, Behan scored four goals in his opening 13 games, but has not hit the target in his last six outings and was poor in Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup exit to Kettering Town.

The Irishman squandered a good chance in under a minute against the Blue Square Premier side and boss Chris Turner reflected: “Someone said, get one, get three or four – but you need that first one. We couldn’t have had a better chance than after 30 seconds. Denis is maybe lacking confidence, it certainly looks that way.

“OK, you cannot blame one person for not scoring goals, but he isn’t looking like the same player from the start of the season.’’ And with strike partner Adam Boyd similarly out of sorts against Kettering, Turner added: “I don’t think Adam is looking as bright and sharp as we want him to be, he was not on top of his game.

“Even though the team played well in the first-half, I don’t think the strikers did as well as they could do.

“Denis has played a lot of games for Cork before coming here and he arrived well oiled and ahead of our players. He’s played 15 or so here, 15 or so for Cork – it’s adding up to nearly a season already for him.

“It’s something to think about, and something you don’t expect, but you don’t expect that situation, we’ve never had it before.’’ Behan, whose last goal came in the 3-1 loss at Exeter on October 3, admitted: “I don’t feel like I’m playing as well as I did for the first couple of games.

“I came in and my fitness levels were higher than the boys here at the start which made a big difference.

“I was doing things then that I’m not doing now, I don’t know why.

“I think I might have to peg my game back to the basics and build again.

“I know I’m better than what I’m playing at the moment.”

Pools reserves lost 3-1 at Scunthorpe yesterday. They took the lead through Ritchie Jones and, after falling 2-1 down, saw Armann Bjornsson, Matty Tymon and Lee Mason go close to a leveller.

But in injury time, Alan Power felled Gary Hooper in the penalty area and was red carded, with the resulting spot kick scored.