ANTONY Sweeney has already been part of the Hartlepool United team which beat Brentford in an FA Cup tie, won a fourth-round game in London and followed it up with a fifth-round trip to Old Trafford.

With history there for the making this afternoon, a repeat showing would be the dream scenario.

Sweeney scored as Martin Scott's young Pool side won at Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the 2002 FA Youth Cup and then lost narrowly to Manchester United in the next stage.

Now he has the chance to try and recreate that feat.

Fourth-round ties for Pool are a rarity. Today, at League One rivals Brentford, it's only the fifth time the club has gone as far in the world's oldest cup competition.

The Youth Cup run was also the club's best in that competition and Sweeney, with 11 goals this season, recalled: "Going to Old Trafford was a great thing for us.

"Getting the chance to play there is something that might never happen again.

"They had a good side out and a few of them have become first-teamers - Kieron Richardson and Darren Fletcher both played - but we worked them hard.

"In the end we were close to going to penalties and they got a lucky deflection to win the game with two minutes of extra time left.

"It was weird playing there with just a few thousand in, imagine what it must be like with 67,000?''

Sweeney netted in the previous round in 2002, as Pool beat Palace, and victory, against a team that included Wayne Routledge, was just as memorable.

"That was important, we beat a team with Academy status,'' he recalled. "The TV cameras were there to make a documentary on Palace and we went there and did a good job on them.

"We had a good run in the competition - and we beat Brentford at home on penalties, so maybe the omens are there!''

A PLACE in the record books is a far cry from 12 months ago, when Sweeney wondered if his future was away from Victoria Park.

The Stockton-born 21-year-old was in the final months of his contract and had yet to force his way into Neale Cooper's first team.

Since making his bow as a late substitute against York in October 2001, appearances were too few and far between.

He started the opening game of the season at Carlisle during Pool's promotion season of 2002-3, but one start and two substitute outings were all he mustered.

The faith and belief Chris Turner and Scott had in the midfielder may not have been matched by Mike Newell.

Only eight games remained last season when he was finally given an opportunity. Time, perhaps, to prove his future was at Victoria Park.

And since taking the field at Brighton the only games he has missed have been through suspension.

He's made 41 appearances from a possible 44, netted 13 times and there's not much chance of the club letting him slip away.

"I was worried about things last year,'' he confessed. "This time last year I wasn't playing for the first team.

"I was in the reserves and the first team were doing well, so it was difficult to get back in there.

"Luckily I got a chance. Brighton wasn't the best of games, we lost 2-0, but it was a chance for me.

"The team then went on a run to the play-offs and we were all confident of doing well.''

"Obviously Martin knows what I can do. He knows if I'm having an off day, it's an off day and not my normal game, which others might have thought it was.

"He's shown a lot of faith in me and he has been a massive influence on my career. I've worked with him for five years now, from the youth team to reserves and now the first team.''

As Tommy Miller became the fans' favourite with his goals from midfield, then-boss Turner was talking up his next protege, the other box-to-box midfielder at the club with an eye for goal.

When Miller moved to Ipswich in 2001 Turner had a young midfielder earmarked to fill his scoring boots.

But Sweeney had to bide his time as Turner went for experience to try to get Pool out of the bottom division.

Sweeney's ability and potential was well known by all at Victoria Park, but potential was all it was ever going to be until being given his chance in March last year.

"My first appearance was against York and we were struggling at the bottom of the league at the time,'' he recalled.

"I came on for the last ten minutes and that gave me a taste of the first team. It was an important step up for me.

"Was it a bit daunting for me? I don't think so, it was more nervous.

"I'd heard the gaffer (Turner) talk about me in the press and compare me to Tommy Miller. He is now a first-team regular at Ipswich and scoring goals in the Championship. If I can do as well as he has, I would be pleased.

"But I had to wait for another chance. I played at Carlisle on the first day of the season and there was a lot of pressure on us at the time because we were expected to go up that season after what happened in the play-offs the season before.

"I didn't have the best of games and was taken off at half-time, but I think the experience helped and made me a lot stronger later on.

"Being involved in the squad, training with them and travelling on match days, helps as a trainee. It helps you know what to expect when you do make it into the side.

"The spirit here is brilliant. I've only played for one club, so I can only talk from here, but other players who have been to other clubs all say the same and I think it plays a big part in our success.

"There's a lot of experience in the squad. I've played a lot of games with Tinks (Mark Tinkler) and he's made lots of appearances and he helps me through games at times.

"He's not a shouter - Tommy Widdrington was more like that - but he points things out and lets me know.''

SWEENEY was a late developer in the professional game. The Stockton-based midfielder was scouted by Pool aged 16, played in a tournament in Aberdeen and soon signed trainee forms.

"It was about six or seven years ago when I was told that a Hartlepool scout had watched me,'' he said. "They needed a few players to go to a tournament. I went for a trial, went to Aberdeen and signed.

"I played for the school teams, county team and I had the chance to go to Darlington. I had a couple of trials there but nothing ever materialised.

"I played every Sunday for Hardwick Juniors in Stockton - I played for them from the age of ten until I went to Hartlepool.

"We won plenty of cups and trophies there, we were one of the best junior teams around.''

Cups and trophies are words slowly finding their way into the Hartlepool United vocabulary.

Supporters, with little to cheer until recent times, are revelling the the success.

A goal in the play-offs at Bristol City last season proved he and Pool could cut it on the big stage. "It was great to score in such a big game, I'll never forget it, but in the end it meant nothing. It's one of those games you will always look back on and wonder what might have been."

Today Pool will be backed by around 1,500 fans at Griffin Park.

After little FA Cup success in recent years the Victoria Park faithful are enjoying their cup runs. Some 10,000 went to Sunderland last year in the third round.

The Stadium of Light is a far more glamourous arena than Griffin Park, but Sweeney admitted: "We've heard that so many fans are planning to go and it's brilliant.

"It gives the lads a big lift when they run out and see so many there. We haven't the best record down there, but they are there to be broken and having so many supporters can only help us.''

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