GOALS haven't come along often for Thomas Butler, so there was no way he was going to pass up his second in a week.

Scoring against Swindon on April 2 was Butler's first career goal.

After making it two in a week with Hartlepool's equaliser at Colchester on Saturday, he doubled his career tally.

Tony Sweeney might have gone down in some quarters as the scorer, but there was little doubt Sweeney didn't get a touch on the cross.

Butler admitted: "I scored for the first time last week and then get another the next week, I can't complain.

"I saw the keeper stood there and went for the top corner, I knew what I was doing. No, no, no, it was a cross and crept in - but I'm not complaining.

"In the second-half me and Ritchie (Humphreys) swapped over and the idea was to come inside and put crosses into the area towards the far post.

"You've seen it happen before and, if someone misses it, the ball ends up in the back of the net. I think Sweens tried to claim it at first and started celebrating, but then he copped onto it and realised it was mine - he knew he hadn't touched it and it was mine.''

Butler's arrival has given Pool a geniune balance on the flanks, with Humphreys and the former Sunderland man both happy on either wing.

"Their keeper was coming for everything, so we wanted to try and make it hard for him.

"If you are running down the wing and putting crosses over from the side he has strikers and defenders in there with him, so it makes things difficult,'' said Butler.

"With me and Ritchie Humphreys on the wings, there is a good balance out there. We started out with me on the right and him on the left, then if things don't go the manager has the option to change things over and we can happily swap from side to side.

"Obviously it's effective as well as we proved on Saturday. It keeps the full backs guessing as well - if they have had it easy in the first-half, and they shouldn't have it easy, don't get me wrong, we can change the game around.''

* Friday's opponents Sheffield Wednesday had Glen Whelan red-carded on Saturday and will have three players suspended for the all-ticket game.

Read more about Hartlepool here.