WHEN it comes to away days, Hartlepool United have never had it so good.

Gone are the times when a mini bus was the order of the day for away games and fish and chips all round at Wetherby, washed down with a couple of cases of Strongarm, ended off the day.

Instead, it's overnight stopovers and pasta after travelling on the Newcastle United or Sunderland team bus.

That off-the-field professionalism has helped propel Pool to within touching distance of both Division Two and the the Division Three title.

And boss Mike Newell last night said a big thank-you to Pool's owners as his team homes in on some rare success.

Pool face Wrexham tonight, with a ten-point lead at the top of the table and an 18-point gap down to third place.

Eight away wins and six draws on the road have helped to create an almost unassailable position.

They are still two short of the club record of ten away victories in a season, achieved in 1967/8 but have five further attempts this season to rewrite more history.

And Newell, with 11 wins and five draws from 20 games in charge, admits this season's 30- point haul on the road - equalled only by Oxford in Division Three - is thanks to the backing from IOR.

Pool headed off for North Wales yesterday and Newell said: "To be honest, the travelling doesn't bother us at all. We are very fortunate to be supported so well.

"IOR back us so well, with accommodation and even having a decent bus. And I mean that in all seriousness, it helps the lads to relax and prepare no end.

"If we can go away feeling right it can only help. Preparation is very important and when you do it right there can be no excuses.''

That backing from the club's Aberdeen-based oil company owners extends to securing five players on extended contracts in recent weeks.

Ritchie Humphreys and Mark Tinkler signed two-year deals last week and Newell added: "It's important to get your important players tied down.

"They have scored 21 goals between them from midfield and it guarantees they stay here for the next couple of years.

"Anyone we want to stay will be signed up as soon as we can. Some players who are out of contract might be unsure of what is happening, it's only natural, but we can only take them one at a time.

"Naturally, some players are priorities and the permanent fixtures in the side are the priorities for me.''

Pool will be tested tonight in North Wales against a team entrenched in the pack chasing a promotion place. They include the division's top scorer - ex-Newcastle Blue Star forward Andy Morrell - who took his seasonal tally to 25 on Saturday when he netted in the 1-1 draw at Lincoln.

Tinkler netted a hat-trick past ex-Pool keeper Andy Dibble at Victoria Park in October, as Pool won 4-3, but Humphreys is warning his teammates to expect a tough encounter.

He said: "We knew it was important that we got back to winning ways on Saturday after what we considered as dropped points.

"We went three games without a win and people were wondering what was happening - that shows how far we have come."

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