CHRIS Shuker would be happy if he never sees Jeff Stelling again.

As a Manchester City outcast, the winger has had enough of watching the Hartlepool United fan present Sky Sports Soccer Saturday.

So instead of watching Stelling tell the nation of the goals as they happen, Shuker is busy creating them himself.

And making goals, like he did so expertly on Saturday, for Pool will bring a smile to Stelling's face every time it happens.

An outcast at Kevin Keegan's City, the diminutive winger gave a display on Saturday that makes you wonder why he has no future at a big-spending club whose record of late makes Carlisle United look championship material. City's loss, however, could be Pool's gain. It certainly is short-term, as Shuker has signed to stay at Pool for an extra month.

Whether there is a long-term arrangement in the offing remains to be seen, but there's little doubt the Victoria Park crowd would like to see him stay.

On the ball he gives electricity to Pool's midfield, the fans expect something to happen when he has the ball. You won't find a better example than the goal he created which was enough to see off Peterborough on Saturday.

He threaded an inch-perfect ball through the Posh defence and around defender Sagi Burton right into the path of Eifion Williams and a couple of touches later he skirted round keeper Mark Tyler and netted.

Williams is in fine form right now, his fourth goal in five games taking his tally to seven, and after he was forced off with a hip injury at the start of the second-half, Pool badly missed his workrate and ability.

This, though, was Shuker's day and the Scouser admitted: "It gets to you a bit when every Saturday at three o'clock you are sat at home watching Sky Sports and that fellow reading out the scores.

"It winds me up watching that every week, because you see all the goals coming in and you are not playing.

"I'm enjoying it here now, it's all right. I've been a bit bored in the hotel on my own at times, especially over Christmas and New Year's Eve, but my girlfriend is coming up now, so it's a bit better and the last few days have been OK. But it's good here, there's a good bunch of lads who play good football. Playing that way suits me.''

He admitted: "My first game at QPR was a bit rough, but I enjoyed the Colchester game and at Oldham I had a bit of a stinker. I was all right for the first 20 minutes, but when I don't get the ball for a while I go out of the game a bit.

"Then when I get the ball, I'm not with it. But I feel overall that I've done OK since I've been here.

"The Sunderland game was a good one for everyone, but I got a knock early on.

"After about 30 seconds McCartney got me on the knee and I had a dead leg above the knee. I played on, but at half-time it stiffened up and I had to go off.

"To play on that stage is what everyone wants to do and, who knows, we could get in the play-offs or whatever this season, and be there all the time. I think we will do all right this season.''

And Shuker added: "I was pleased with this game. I was tired towards the end, I've had a bit of flu during the week and it was getting me down a bit.

"I didn't touch the ball for the first 15 minutes, it was all over the other side, but then I came into it.

" The keeper made a couple of saves from me in the first half and then in the second there was the overhead kick which was straight down his throat, I probably caught it too well. We had a few chances early on, we could have had ten, but one-up will do us to get back up the table.''

Pool are in sixth place, moving up from 11th to make the last play-off spot, after being the only one of nine teams outside the top three to win.

Yet while the team ploughs on, the crowd was nothing like it should have been.

Around 10,000 Pool fans were at Sunderland the previous week; this crowd was under 5,000 and even below Victoria Park's average for the season.

Those who decided the performance at the Stadium of Light wasn't good enough and stayed away missed a lively opening.

Twice Gavin Strachan could have scored in the opening minutes, then Shuker and Joel Porter went close before Mark Tinkler fired wide from 25 yards. Defender Mark Arber made three timely saving tackles to halt Pool in their tracks.

Peterborough weren't without their chances and their tricky running from midfield to support three strikers caused problems.

But they became more and more reliant on the huge throw of Andy Legg - the 'human sling' according to Cooper - and Nelson mopped up without trouble.

Curtis Woodhouse looked a certain scorer after a one-two on the edge of the penalty area before Jim Provett kept him out.

After scoring three times on the opening day of the season without having to try, Posh discovered - like the rest of Division Two - that Provett is a different proposition to Anthony Williams.

Provett made another fine reaction save to stop a Clive Platt header and this was his eighth League clean sheet of the season. He's only been beaten six times at home this season.

And, after Shuker's deft through ball found Porter in front of goal before the Australian sidefooted inches wide, the midfielder teed up Williams with a sublime through ball.

Posh were down to ten men for the closing stages after Matthew Gill grabbed Shuker by the back of his shirt after he lost possession to earn a second booking.

When Posh threatened in the second half, they found Micky Nelson on song. Earlier this season, Platt, then at Notts County, got the better of the defender but not this time.

And up front Porter gave his best display. The Aussie's movement and link-up with Williams caused Posh problems and he could prove a shrewd capture.

Result: Hartlepool United 1 Peterborough United 0.

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