EARLIER this season Neil Danns was instrumental in making Hartlepool United suffer; today he will be part of the Pool side aiming to cement their place in the Division Two elite.

Blackburn midfielder Danns played 15 games on loan at Blackpool, including a 4-0 demolition of Neale Cooper's side at Bloomfield Road.

Danns was as good as Pool were bad that October day and he soon returned to Ewood Park in the hope of forcing his way into Graeme Souness's plans.

But he has made only one appearance since, in the 4-3 defeat by Bolton in January, and Cooper is delighted to get the 21-year-old - who says the job is to get Pool into the First Division - on board.

With Chris Shuker returning to Manchester City after a three-month loan and unlikely to return to make his move permanent, Danns will start in central midfield alongside Mark Tinkler when Pool meet QPR at Victoria Park in the division's game of the day.

Victoria Park is heading for a sell-out today - the second of the season after 7,448 watched October's 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Liverpool-born Danns played for Rovers' reserve side - managed by ex-Pool boss Alan Murray - in midweek against Everton and Cooper admitted he tried to sign the midfielder at the start of the season.

He said: "He is a powerful midfielder who can make great forward runs. We are delighted we that he has joined us.

"He destroyed us in the middle of the park at Blackpool that day. I had him watched again the other night and got a great report about him.

"I spoke to Alan Murray and he said the time wasn't right for him to come to us at the start of the season when I first inquired, for one reason or another, but he has said he can come to us now.''

Three wins in seven days pushed Pool into fifth spot in the table. Now they sit in sixth after Brighton's midweek win and are ten points behind third-placed QPR.

Rangers turned Pool over at Loftus Road in December, netting three times in seven first-half minutes.

"We go into the game confident after three good victories,'' said Cooper. "Down there they came at us and battered us for a short period and we lost 4-1.

"But we are in a good position now after a great week, three wins out of three.''

Defender Chris Westwood was part of the Pool back line that day, but since then they have lost only once away from home in seven League games.

Four of those have been wins, including last week's at Colchester and Westwood admitted: "Last week was a scrappy game and it was going to be a scrappy goal that won it. But when you are on a good run, those kind of things go in your favour.

"Sometimes this season we have played some unbelievable stuff and not won games, only drawn.

"It's been a beautiful time for us, three wins in a row and into the play-off places - it's what everyone wants isn't it?

"QPR this week and then Stockport coming up as well, it's a good chance for us. QPR are a good team, they showed it at their place and are one of the few teams to rip us apart.

"But that was at home and I don't know what they will do away from home.

"At their place they played, more or less, with four up front. Two strikers and two wingers who worked their socks off to get forward all game.

"They are one of the big boys in the division, they can attract big players and that's why they are going for the top two.''

* The Cyril Knowles Stand is sold out and only a handful of tickets remain for the Mill House Stand. QPR have sold their allocation of Rink End tickets and a number are left for the Town End terrace.

Read more about Hartlepool here.