EIFION Williams should be fit to face his old club tomorrow. The Hartlepool United striker sat out the defeat at Oldham after suffering a hip injury, which forced him off at half-time in the draw with Barnsley on September 4.

But Williams, with two goals this season, is ready to resume up front against Torquay.

Teenager David Foley started last week, but Williams will be paired with Adam Boyd, providing there is no reaction after he returned to training yesterday.

Williams scored a hat-trick for Torquay on his debut for the Gulls against Pool in 1999 and three years later moved to the North-East in a £30,000 deal.

He was leading scorer in each of the last two seasons and has 36 Pool goals to his name.

After declaring himself satisfied with the outcome of a budget meeting with club owners IOR Ltd this week, boss Neale Cooper is hoping to bolster his squad today.

Last week he signed midfielders Alan Pouton (Gillingham) and Martin Woods (Leeds) on loan and is looking for a central defender.

Pool will be presented with a prize tomorrow to mark winning last season's Division Two fair play league.

l Alun Armstrong will make his Darlington debut tomorrow, with manager David Hodgson confident his new striker will benefit from his return to the North-East.

Despite signing Armstrong on a short-term deal this week, Hodgson is under no illusions that the former Middlesbrough man is effectively in the shop window at the Williamson Motors Stadium.

The 29-year-old was freed by Ipswich during the summer. After seeing moves to Bristol City and Rotherham United fail to materialise, Armstrong put pen-to-paper on a three-month deal on Tuesday.

After a catalogue of injury setbacks at Portman Road, clubs have been reluctant to sign Armstrong.

The Tynesider will line up against Northampton and Hodgson said: "It is up to Alun to prove himself. If he can get a few goals and earn himself a move that's something we have to accept."

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