NEALE Cooper vowed 13 days ago that Boston would be made to pay for their reaction to a goalless draw - and the Hartlepool United boss was happy to be proved right.

Pool progressed to round four of the FA Cup and a trip to Brentford with a single-goal victory at York Street on Wednesday.

Cooper and his players were angry at the manner in which Boston celebrated taking the first game at Victoria Park to a replay.

And Cooper, who saw Adam Boyd score the winning goal on Wednesday after his missed last kick of the game penalty forced a replay, revealed: "I said after the drawn game that we weren't happy with their reaction to the draw.

"They were celebrating in the dressing room and we remembered that - it was part of the team talk, a big part.

"They thought they had done enough to win the game with a draw at our place. They were delighted with their result away from home and so are we."

Cooper and counterpart Steve Evans were at each other's throats on the York Street touchline throughout Wednesday's game and the Boston boss continued his gamesmanship afterwards when he claimed Pool were lucky to reach the last 32 for only the fifth time in their history.

"I think Hartlepool will go away knowing they have been lucky because we absolutely smashed them,'' he claimed "I am proud of every one of my players because Hartlepool were never in the game.

"It sticks in my throat a bit because their only shot on target has taken a deflection and gone in.

"Otherwise, we outplayed them and outfought them, and I honestly feel it is a travesty we have gone out of the cup.

"Neale Cooper is a fortunate man and I think he knows it."

Pool striker Joel Porter has been placed in quarantine after contracting mumps.

The Australian didn't travel to Lincolnshire with his team-mates and, with Eifion Williams suffering from sickness, Cooper was forced to hand a debut to teenager Andy Appleby.

Cooper said: "Joel wasn't feeling well last week and came in one day with his neck and glands all swollen, we were calling him Jonny Vegas!

"Then he got back from Torquay, woke up on Monday morning unwell and spoke to the club doctor. He's in quarantine because it's a nasty thing to have and we can't have anyone else getting it.

"Then we went down for breakfast at the hotel on Tuesday and John Murray (physio) said that Eifion Williams had been up during the night being sick.

"He came out with us to do a little bit of ball work in the morning, but was ill again later in the day.

"We had to make a decision early because we had to work on set plays and formation, so I spoke to Eifion again and he couldn't play.''

l Darlington defender Joey Hutchinson is ready to tell manager David Hodgson his long-term future lies at the Williamson Motors Stadium.

Middlesbrough-born Hutchinson is out of contract in the summer and there were fears the highly coveted 22-year-old could quit the club to be closer to his family in Birmingham.

Last month Hodgson conceded that he may be forced to part with Hutchinson, less than two years after Mick Tait brought the Teessider back to the North-East from Birmingham City on a free transfer.

However, Hutchinson has made it clear that he wants to remain with Quakers beyond his current deal.

"My girlfriend and daughter are down in Birmingham, but that won't be a problem," said Hutchinson. "I'm happy here and don't want to go anywhere else."

Hutchinson has not played since sustaining cruciate knee ligament damage at Rochdale in September, but he has resumed light training and will continue his rehabilitation at the National Sports Centre in Lilleshall next week.

"It's been a frustrating time and I'm just looking forward to getting out on the pitch with the lads again," said Hutchinson. "I've been down to Lilleshall a couple of times already and everything seems to be going pretty well.

"Hopefully I will be ready to play some time in March."

While Quakers await Hutchinson's return, manager David Hodgson is not ruling out the possibility of adding another defender to his ranks after bringing Jamaican international Damion Stewart to the club on trial.

The 24-year-old trained with Quakers yesterday, just five days after helping the Reggae Boyz to a 5-0 aggregate win over French Guiana in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The 6ft 2in defender plays in Jamaica for Harbour View and has over 20 caps.

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