Playing away may help Pool - Turner

Jan 19 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

CHRIS Turner thinks playing away from Victoria Park might help Hartlepool United tonight, but it does mean his players have had to spend more time around their seething boss.

As he prepared for a League One game at title-chasing Charlton Athletic, the director of sport was still livid at Saturday’s 5-0 home defeat to Milton Keynes Dons.

With low crowds and plenty of audible dissatisfaction directed at Turner in particular, the Vic has not been an easy place for Hartlepool to ply their trade this season. So playing at what was recently a Premier League ground might not be as daunting a prospect. “I think it will help,” said Turner. “I certainly don’t think it will do any harm. We’ve got our way into the top half but unfortunately there are certain elements in the crowd who aren’t happy.”

Not that Turner was prepared to fall back on home disadvantage as any excuse for Saturday’s capitulation. With tonight’s being the first of four games in a month against former Premier League clubs, Turner is not prepared to allow the rot to set in.

“I was very disappointed with Saturday’s performance and result,” he said. “Without doubt there will be changes. There would have been anyhow because this will be our third game in a week, but now we’ll be making changes because we were so poor on Saturday and we can not accept that level of performance.

“We’re playing one of the best teams in the division, then we have Norwich and Leeds.”

Captain Sam Collins has travelled after missing Saturday’s game with flu. With only James Brown (knee) missing through injury, Turner has a free hand to make changes. Joe Gamble, Turner’s first – and he expects only – January signing is set to stand down after an unimpressive debut.

Meanwhile, there will be a sense of relief at the Don Valley Stadium tonight if Rotherham United and Darlington are able to play their first games since December 12. Much has changed at Neasham Road since, and the Quakers could field six debutants – Alan White, Simon Madden, Chris Dempsey, Gareth Waite, Tadgh Purcell and Patrick Dean – in the League Two clash. Noel Whelan could return after injuring his hamstring on his and manager Steve Staunton’s debuts.

Dan Groves (foot), Mark Bower and Steve Foster (both ankle) are still out.