TUESDAY was a strange scenario for Jon Daly and one he desperately hopes doesn't repeat itself too often.

After two goals in as many games at Victoria Park for his former club, Hartlepool United's newest striker marked his debut in a blue and white shirt without a goal.

Daly was on target for Stockport both this season and last in their visits to Victoria Park, but his first game for his new club saw Pool's first home League defeat of the season, as leaders Luton Town won 3-2.

Pool go to Port Vale this afternoon with the Irishman likely to be on the bench as Neale Cooper puts Adam Boyd back in tandem with Joel Porter up front.

Cooper spent £30,000 on the striker once labelled as the man to replace Niall Quinn in the Republic of Ireland side by the Sunderland legend in his autobiography.

And Daly, who was flattered by the praise, is determined to repay Cooper's faith.

"I didn't want to know that,'' he joked. "I didn't realise it. Yeah, it's the first time I've been here without scoring. I'll have to change that around again.

"I've missed a few weeks football lately. I came here and was cup tied, so I've had a couple of weeks out of it.

"I need that bit of sharpness back and hopefully it will come soon.

"Everyone wants to play in the highest league they can and there's no reason why we can't do it here this season.

"The referee made a blunder which cost us a goal against Luton, but it's gone now.

"We didn't perform to the best of our ability the other night, but we still pushed them towards the end.''

Pool boss Neale Cooper believes Mike Newell's Luton side are destined to lift the League One title this season.

They have completed the double over Pool and Daly suffered defeat at Kenilworth Road before Christmas in a Stockport shirt.

He said: "It was a tough game on Tuesday - they are a good side with a couple of strong centre backs.

"But I knew that already because I'd played down there for Stockport and got a thumping before Christmas - so that's twice now and I've lost twice.

"I was a bit surprised to play the other night but the manager told me on the morning of the game, so I was ready for the challenge.

"Joel Porter and Adam Boyd are very nippy players and they have good movement. They are prepared to gamble on the flick-ons as well, which is good for me.

"I've come to a club chasing promotion and it's a total different situation to what I've left behind at Stockport, where it was about chasing points for survival.

"It would be nice to pick up the points to get promoted. We've still got games in hand on Hull, so we can close the gap and hopefully get up automatically.''

Swapping a relegation scrap at Edgeley Park for a promotion push at Victoria Park has delighted Daly.

Stockport, now under Chris Turner's managership, are adrift at the bottom, 16 points away from safety.

And Daly has already noticed a difference in attitute in the North-East, with the Pool players enjoying training.

"The boys here seem to enjoy themselves and have more of a laugh, there's a good spirit here,'' said Daly.

"I suppose at Stockport it's a lot more serious and downbeat because of their position. There is more of an atmosphere here.

"It's still about getting to know the lads for me, but they seem to all get on well and there's no little cliques. At Stockport there were a few and that doesn't help.

"Everyone gets on and that can only be a good thing.

"Chris Turner came in at Stockport just before I left. The players always try to impress when a new manager comes in and he has his own ideas and ways.

"He will be good for Stockport, even if they go down this season, he will do well next season.

"Chris Turner is very professional in the way he goes about things and you could see that straight away.

"Little things, like getting fined for not wearing flip-flops in the showers, are happening again.

"In the past, under Sammy McIlroy, a lot of players wouldn't pay them and he just let them go, but with Chris it's different straight away.

"That might only be a little thing but it all adds up and you could tell things were changing.''

HARTLEPOOL United's team will have a strange look about it this afternoon - it is the first time in exactly five years that Pool have fielded a Football League side without either Chris Westwood or Mark Tinkler.

The last time neither Westwood nor Tinkler appeared in a Pool side was a 4-1 home thumping by Macclesfield on February 19, 2000. That was 230 games ago.

Tinkler wasn't at Pool then, he didn't move from Southend until November 2000, but Westwood was already part of the fixtures and fittings at Victoria Park.

Since they were united at Victoria Park, one or both have appeared in every game since.

Tinkler first game was a 3-0 defeat at Scunthorpe in November 2000.

Since then, he has missed only 13 League games, making 158 league appearances.

Westwood signed for Pool in 1999 and made his debut on March 27 at Torquay.

He has made 215 league appearances, putting him 40th in the club's all-time appearance list.

Westwood was ever present in 2000-2001 and 2002-3.

Last season, Westwood's only game on the sidelines was the 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Victoria Park on October 10.

He was replaced at centre-half by Tinkler, who missed only two games that campaign. Westwood has missed one game this season, the home win over Torquay, while Tinkler was absent for the Victoria Park games with Colchester and Barnsley.

The pair are facing three weeks on the sidelines, Westwood with a hamstring strain and Tinkler a calf injury.