NEW YEARS' Day 1996 seems a long time ago for Graeme Lee.

That's when the Hartlepool United defender made his Football League debut. On Saturday he returned to Gigg Lane, Bury for the first time since that day and the occasion was another happy one for the 24-year-old.

Pool are top of the League, have lost only once this season and Lee, part of the meanest defence in Division Three, is playing as well as he ever has.

Quite different to the class of 1996 which 17-year-old Lee entered and Keith Houchen's side finished 20th in Division Three, featuring players of the ilk of Peter Billing, Scott Sloan and Keith Oliver.

Not quite in the class of Westwood, Humphreys, Widdrington or Adam Boyd it's fair to say.

Mind you, they did win 3-0 at Bury that season; on Saturday Pool needed Boyd's 82nd minute header to earn a draw, but their football in the second-half deserved more than the single goal.

They fell behind to Pawel Abbott's 20th minute finish and spent the next 62 minutes chasing the game and taking it to the home side.

The point means Pool are still unbeaten away from home this season - March 2 at Kidderminster was their last away day loss - and keeps their advantage at the top, albiet down to a point from three after Torquay won at Swansea.

But Lee isn't worried about what the others do because he knows this team are good enough to let the others worry about them.

"It's great when you hear the fans singing 'we are top of the league' - it makes a change for them to be able to sing it later on in the season instead of just after the first game!'' he said.

"Being top of the League takes some getting used to for me. It's a big shock for me when you consider the changes I've seen in the club over the years.

"Six years back is a long time for me. I can remember most about that game - I found out the day before the game and I was thinking to myself 'Am I supposed to be happy about this or what?'

"But seriously I was so happy that day.

"We won 3-0 and I remember Gucky (Ian McGuckin) scoring late on.

"The club itself these days; you talk about change, we talk about it quite a bit. It's so different, the training facilities we have now from where we used to change and the club is ran so professionally - the way a football club should be ran.

"The club is on the up and the team is on the up. Not now, but even the first season we got in the play-offs and we were up towards the top we would be looking down thinking 'oh, we are ten points clear of the bottom here, we won't be in the relegation fight'.

"Now we are looking at second or third top and seeing what sort of gap we have on them.''

Lee has made 184 League appearances for Pool, it would have been more but for injury troubles and the odd game missed through suspension in the past.

His partnership alongside Chris Westwood is solid and he added: "You come on as a player when better players come into the club around you.

"The gaffer has helped me become a better defender, we are solid at the back and I'm playing more games now than I was in the past. The lads who have come to the club recently are good players and when you are surrounded by good players you all learn from each other.

"We suffered a blow last week when Flash was injured, I feel sorry for him, but the squad we have here now we have cover in every position. Everyone has confidence in players coming in because we know they can do a job.

"I'm pleased for Boydy to see him come in and do as well as he has.

"He's had to sit back and wait for his chance, everyone knows what he can do - he can go to the highest level and it's just about getting a run in the team, getting a couple of goals and he is flying.''

Boyd has now netted twice in as many games since being called up to replace Gordon Watson. Last Tuesday's goal was a spectacular individual effort, this one a simple header from six yards; just like his mentor Watson, Boyd can turn his hand to scoring any type of goal.

He hit the bar with a dipping volley from a chance created by himself and fizzed a shot just wide of the mark minutes in the second-half.

Micky Barron crossed from the right, Ritchie Humphreys sent it back into the area and Boyd ghosted in at the back post to nod the easiest of goals.

Bury took the game to Pool from the start, but just like against Lincoln last Tuesday after going a goal down Turner's side took control and always looked like drawing level.

"Scoring like we did shows the spirit we have here,'' added Lee. "We knew they would come at us early on because that's how they play and unfortunately they got a goal, but again we came back.

"We went behind against Lincoln and came back and Bury are one of the better teams in the League and we've done it again. Last season we played Bury in the Cup and they were in the division above us and you could see the difference then, but not this time.

"I thought we were the better team for a long time. We've had a good week with three good results and now we've got Rushden next week which is another big game.

"But we are full of confidence going into games. When you are top of the League you know other teams are looking at you, wanting to beat you, but if we keep playing as we are then we will be OK."

Result: Bury 1 Hartlepool United 1.

Read more about Hartlepool here.