NEXT time the words Hartlepool United and Victoria Park are heard in the Darren Barnard household, expect the Welsh international to break into a cold sweat.

If being part of the Grimsby back line that conceded eight along Clarence Road last season wasn't hard enough to accept, letting in another five in an Aldershot shirt will be too much to bear.

Thirteen goals in two games. For a left back who has faced the likes of Azerbaijan and Ukraine in a red shirt, trips to far flung European outposts will be far more appealing than a drive up the A1 to Victoria Park.

Pool secured a spot in round three of the FA Cup for the second year in succession - the last time they managed that feat was in 1992 and 1993 - with a win perhaps not quite as simple and straight forward as the scoreline suggests.

Chris Westwood might take the praise after a performance equally clinical in both defence and attack - two goals made it three in three games for the hot-shot - and Joel Porter ran the visitors ragged at times, but the game changing event came courtesy of Pool's recalled goalkeeper.

Jim Provett sat out the previous seven games, as Neale Cooper took last season's player of the year out of the firing line and gave Dimi Konstantopoulos his chance.

The big Greek has proved his worth in those games, Provett likewise on Saturday, giving Cooper food for thought ahead of tomorrow's visit to Wallsall.

With Pool leading 2-1 on Saturday, perhaps it was a case of next goal the winner.

The Shots, outplayed for the opening 30 minutes and two goals down, pulled one back through Tim Sills and were enjoying their best spell of the game.

With Pool on the back foot, an equaliser would have made things very interesting. A visit to the Recreation Ground a week tomorrow didn't appeal.

Confidence flowing, midfielder Jon Challenor fired in a 25-yarder that was heading for goal.

But Provett's touch diverted the ball onto the bar, John Brackstone cleared and soon after Pool bagged three more to earn their home tie with Boston.

The keeper admitted: "The game could have been a tricky one for us. I made a save at 2-1 which was important and I was pleased with it, but it's just nice to be playing again.

"Obviously I don't know if I'm going to be back for the league game on Tuesday, but it's given the gaffer something to think about for now.

"It's been hard, it was a massive blow to be left out because I didn't think I'd been doing anything wrong. We had been conceding goals, but I don't think personally I could be blamed.

"When goals go in, the keeper is always the first one they look at. The gaffer makes the decisions and he has to live and die by them.

"He didn't really say why I was back in for this game. To be honest, I expected to play at Oldham last week, but you can see his thinking and maybe he wanted to keep the side that had been playing together and then give me a chance at home, because our home form has never been a problem.''

And Provett admitted: "The gaffer knows I'm not happy to be left out.

"I don't want to sit on the bench and I've let him know, which, in my opinion is the right attitude to have because it shows I have that desire burning to keep playing.

"I have spoken to him and told him I want to play. I'm 21 years old and I need to be playing games. Last season was brought up and it was a good season for me, but this season has nothing to do with it.

"In my eyes that has been and gone and you can't keep going back to that because I had a good season and won a couple of awards. I'm a realist and I need to be playing games.

"I wanted a chance to get back in, he gave Dimi a chance in a few cup games this season, now he's given me one and I think I've done enough to stay there.

"That save was important. I lost it in the floodlights and saw it late, I didn't think I'd got enough on it, but it knocked against the bar.

"That would have made it two each and I was pleased with my overall performance.''

The Conference side must have wondered what had hit them in the first half hour.

Pool were at their attacking best, creating chances aplenty, Adam Boyd twice went close, the first from a 30 yard blast that keeper Nikki Bull clawed out of the top corner.

But it was Westwood who again opened the scoring - expect his first goalscorer odds to tumble from 40-1 on Saturday.

Strachan's cross from a left sided corner was firmly headed home by the defender.

His second of the game, third of the week and seventh in 268 Pool appearances came from a sidefoot finish after the imperious Joel Porter tormented Barnard and cut the ball back from the goalline.

He even had a header knocked off the line in between as he went up for another corner with a big grin on his face.

A Westwood hat-trick?

He'll be singing the praises of Father Christmas and the tooth fairy next.

The advantage was reduced when Dwain Clarke's low cross was turned in by Sills and that was the cue for a period of nervousness.

Provett's fine save was the closest The Shots came to levelling.

And they should have been a man down when Jonny Dixon needlessly showed Provett a close up view of his studs.

They were a further goal down when Boyd jumped between two defenders and sent a looping header into the net.

With his first goal in nine games in the bag and confidence flowing, Boyd took the ball from Porter and cracked in a shot off the underside of the bar.

Tinkler completed things from inside the six yard box after Tony Sweeney knocked down Porter's cross.

Result: Hartlepool United 5 Aldershot Town 1.

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