JON Daly impressed on his first game in a Hartlepool United shirt yesterday.

The big striker moved to Pool from Stockport last week and played in the 1-0 reserve defeat at Preston.

Daly had a header cleared off the line and reserve boss Martin Scott said: "It was pleasing to see Jon Daly come though the full 90 minutes.

"He was excellent and justified why Neale (Cooper, manager) and myself brought him to this club."

Daly will have to wait until a week tonight to make his first-team debut.

The Irishman is cup-tied for Saturday's FA Cup replay with Brentford and he didn't sign in time to be involved in last weekend's win at Chesterfield, but is relishing the chance to impress.

"My agent rang and said there was interest from Hartlepool. As soon as I heard that I wanted to know more," he revealed.

"I had already made my mind up that I was going to leave in the summer so when I heard that Hartlepool were interested I knew it was a club I wanted to come to.

"They are a good team and I think their league position shows that - they are a team who are going places."

"I wanted to leave Stockport, I had been there six-and-a-half years and wanted a fresh start.

"If I had gone to Rochdale I would not have had to move house because it was local but I wanted to go to a club I felt were going places and had ambition and Hartlepool are a club that fits that description for me."

Daly, who spent time on loan at Grimsby this season, added: "They are in a play-off position but they can push even higher if they keep getting the results they have been getting from now until the end of the season.

"There was no other club I wanted to go to and once I had spoken to the gaffer here I knew I was making the right choice."

* Tickets are selling fast for Saturday's game.

The game is not all ticket but the club is advising fans to buy in advance and they are now on general sale.

Read more about Hartlepool here.