CHRIS Westwood made a winning return to the Hartlepool United side - and admitted a week's extra training has done him the world of good.
The defender helped Pool to victory at Bradford after a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
And although he says he was fit to play in the game with Tranmere the week before, Westwood admits his comeback was at the right time.
"I felt OK. I was probably fine to play against Tranmere last week, but I can understand why the gaffer kept me out.
"I'd only trained a couple of days before that game, so I think it was the right decision.
"I've had an extra week behind me now and a week's training has made the difference.''
He added: "That was just what we needed after four defeats - maybe we got the rub of the green this time.
"A few things have gone for us which probably haven't of late.
"I came back in the side and it was good to come back into it.
"We were in front and at half-time we knew they would come at us in the second-half.
"We talked about it and they did. The goal gave them a lift, but we showed our character.
"To be honest, it was about not losing. We didn't want to make it five defeats in a row, so it was very important not to get beat.
"That's especially because we were playing a team who might be thinking about the play-offs themselves."
And Westwood paid tribute to Dean Windass, after a combative 90 minutes with the former Middlesbrough man.
"Windass is a good player, he's awkward to play against, very strong,'' he said.
"One ball he played in the first-half was unreal. He took it down and played it across the pitch to the far side.
"I said to him 'good pass' and he goes 'I know'!
"I don't think I could kick a ball like that even if I put it on the floor and tried it."
Bradford have now won only one of their last 11 home games and boss Colin Todd, who spent the first half watching from the press box, with his head in his hands on plenty of occasions, said: "It was a game we had to win and we were lacklustre.
"There was no tempo in our play.''
Read more about Hartlepool here.
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