JON Daly may have been getting all the plaudits, but he was quick to recognise the role his strike partner has played in his recent success.

Daly, with seven goals in his last three games, is in the goal scoring form of his career, while Joel Porter can only boast a single strike at Blundell Park against Grimsby seven days ago.

And Daly is sure that it won't be long before Porter's name is hoisted up the scoring charts.

"I'm back in the team and playing with a smile on my face. Now I want to carry it on in the next couple of games,'' he said.

"At the moment I'm linking up well with Joel - if I'm not scoring, then I'd be just as happy winning the headers for him to get onto.

"His work-rate is immense and it's a joy to play up front with him.

"Joel is a cracking player, he's a very clever player who defenders don't like coming up against. But I love playing up front with him.

"His movement off the ball is very intelligent and his vision is superb. When he is on form, it's really hard to defenders.

"He hasn't scored as many goals as he would have liked and it's hard to believe he's only got one.

"But I know they will come. It won't be long before he's banging them in.''

Daly, who suffereda cut head on Saturday, last night reflected on Saturday's three-goal haul and said: "I've got under the ball for the first one, it's dropped to me and luckily it's gone in.

"Earlier in the season that would have hit the bar, went over or someone on the line would have cleared it. It seems to be dropping for us right now.''

The big striker was given a rousing ovation from the Victoria Park crowd, weeks after he was a terrace target.

He said: "It's very easy when things aren't going well for the fans to have a go, but at Grimsby the other night we went one-down and the fans were brilliant - they never stopped signing and backing us and the players appreciate it. ''

Pools' club captain Ritchie Humphreys makes the last appearance of his one-month spell at Port Vale this weekend.

Valiants boss Martin Foyle said: "I have spoken to Danny Wilson about Ritchie.

"As Ritchie can play for us this week there is more time, but I have told Danny what I think so he will be speaking to Ritchie soon.

"I am hopeful, but you can never be certain with loan deals."