Swindon Town 0, Hartlepool United 1.

HE'S gone 23 games unbeaten this season, his new side has not lost in 14 games, he's won 17 times this campaign and scored four times since signing for Hartlepool United in mid-November.

But none of those games were as enjoyable, or important, as this one for Andy Monkhouse.

The left-winger was just starting to get the bird from the Swindon fans at the County Ground, where he started this season.

The flak went up a notch when he sent a towering header into the net four minutes into the second half to give Pools their 12th win from 14 games. How he celebrated in front of his old supporters.

And in the process Pools also moved up a notch, from fourth place in League Two into third place, which is the minimum requirement come May.

Three of his four goals for Pools have proved decisive, the winning strikes at Notts County, Mansfield and now Swindon earning nine points.

Without that return, Pools would be in seventh spot, clutching onto the last play-off place. Instead, it's six points off top spot and the leaders visit Victoria Park on Saturday.

After losing to weakly to Barnet on November 4, their last reverse, Pools were 13 points from third and 18 points off pole position.

Now it's a different story altogether and the gap could be down to three come Saturday.

"I think we are in the top three now, which goes without saying it's where we want to be,'' admitted Monkhouse, who celebrated earning promotion at Victoria Park as a Rotherham player in the penultimate game of the 1999-2000 season.

"Lincoln, Swindon and Walsall have all dropped points and we won so it keeps the pressure up at the top and other teams must be looking at us now.

"They've got to be. It's 14 games unbeaten and everyone can see what we are doing - they will be looking at us as proper promotion candidates.

"We are in the top three now and it's a nice physiological thing for everyone.

"There was the bad start to the season which cost a few points, but now we've got a real momentum about us and we want to carry on and carry on.

"This was a massive game because if we lost they would have been eight points in front of us. Now we've clawed it back to two. There's no rest though because it's Walsall next week, another massive game.''

In the official Swindon Town 2007 calendar, still on sale in the club shop, Monkhouse is Mr October.

By the time Halloween arrives, a few may calendars may be a page short, ripped out in anger on Saturday night thanks to the legacy of Monkhouse.

Pools have certainly played much better than they did on Saturday, it was more efficient than spectacular.

But four minutes into the second half, Ritchie Humphreys' deep and curling corner from the right side was steered in his direction. A big jump brought an even bigger goal and intense celebrations.

"I've scored a few this season and I will always go for it,'' he said. "The ball came in and Nico (Andy Nicholas) was marking me, but I managed to lose him and get a head to it.

"With the pace on the ball from Ritchie, I just had to direct it across the keeper into the far side - there you go.

"We scored and you know it will fire the opposition up a bit, but it's great to know the lads at the back are there and keeping another clean sheets - I've lost count of how many they've kept now.''

Pools have only been breached three times in 14 games, that's a goal every 420 minutes of football.

They had a couple of scares on Saturday. First Micky Barron misread the bounce when the ball was crossed in from the right and Sofiene Zaaboub's goalbound shot was stopped by Micky Nelson.

Defender Nicholas struck the rebound firmly from 20 yards and it cannoned off the inside of the post, with Dimi Konstantopoulos looking on.

Soon after Monkhouse's goal, Christian Roberts ended up one on one with Konstantopoulos. The striker who scored the decisive, last-gasp goal for Bristol City in the 2004 play-off semi-final tried to go around the big Greek.

But Konstantopoulos wouldn't have any of it and stuck out a giant arm to smother. A late Blair Sturrock shot aside, that was all Swindon managed.

Clear chances for Pools were equally scarce, but single goal victories to nil are becoming the norm of late - this was their seventh from 12.

One-nil to the Hartlepool.

For Monkhouse, he's now played half a season without suffering defeat, 10 for Swindon, 13 for Pools.

"It's unbelievable what's happened to me this season isn't it?'' asked Monkhouse.

"I spoke to a few of the Swindon lads before the game, which is par for the course when you play against your old teammates, but I was a bit disappointed with the crowd's reaction.

"When I put it in the back of the net I had to give some of it back - I couldn't help it. But everyone's delighted.

"What is it? 23 games now, long may it continue. That's half a season but hopefully I can get to 38 and then that's us up.

"Every week we go into the game looking to get going. We know it's a big game again next week against Walsall, but we will just get on the training ground on Monday and start preparing for it.

"This one was a big one for me personally, they will probably go up and it's a big club.

"I still speak to a lot of the Swindon lads, but I'm not bothered about them - my focus is on Hartlepool now.''