THE bout of illness which has been affecting the Hartlepool United camp again took effect on Saturday.

Boss Neale Cooper, who has seen a handful of players suffering from a bug in recent weeks, lost John Brackstone through sickness in the second-half at Notts County. Eifion Williams missed the defeat at Blackpool a fortnight earlier, while Mark Tinkler, Paul Robinson and Micky Barron have also suffered of late.

Cooper revealed: "John had been violently ill at half-time. He was suffering from stomach cramps and the whole time we were talking in the dressing room he was in the toilet being sick.

"We said we would give it a few minutes and see how it goes but he couldn't last. It was a shame because he did well in that area and looked steady.

"When he went off we only really had Ritchie Humphreys as a naturally left-sided player on the pitch and he went back in at left-back. It's a different position for him, but he did alright in there.

"After the game John was still suffering, he was sat in there with his coat on shivering.

"It's not a major bug, but Micky Barron said he was feeling a bit run down before the game and a few of the other lads have been suffering from symptoms over the last few weeks.''

Humphreys filled in at left-back for a brief spell after Brackstone's withdrawl - the fifth player to fill that position this season after Matty Robson, Andrew Jordan, Paul Robinson and Brackstone.

Cooper has been pleased with Brackstone's progress of late and admitted: "He has looked comfortable there, he has a good left foot and has never looked out of place.''

Hartlepool-born Brackstone has been promoted to the first-team from the reserves and youth set up this season and his brother Stephen is at York City after he was freed by Middlesbrough