MICKY Barron is backing Hartlepool United to put the disappointment of nine days ago to bed this afternoon.

Pool entertain Hull, aiming to get back to winning ways at home after suffering a miserable time against Macclesfield nine days back.

Pool lost 2-0 to bring expectations crashing back to earth after the highs of opening wins over Carlisle and Boston and Barron said: "Everyone says Hull are the team you have to beat this season, but as long as we play at home like we can and not like we did last time then we will be confident.

"We were very disappointed after Macclesfield and to be honest, we were all a little bit down all week. Maybe it is a little bit easier for us away from home because teams will come at us and leave things open, while most teams will get men behind the ball at home.

"But I think Hull will come and try to beat us and go for it. They will come and play football and that helps us to play our football.''

Barron feared he could have been red-carded on Saturday after hauling down Torquay striker Tony Bedeau - and admitted his calculated attempt to stop the striker paid dividends.

"I made a decision to bring him down where I did because I knew there was cover behind me and the lad was running away from goal,'' he said.

"I think Westy was there and Humps was more or less back, so because he wasn't running straight on I got a yellow.

"One of the lads said that maybe their lad getting involved and throwing the ball at me helped make the referee's mind up.

"He already had a yellow out for me when Fowler came and got involved and bounced the ball off my head so he had to get another yellow.

"He had just made a bad tackle anyway and with that sort of reaction he was always going to go.

"Bedeau played well all afternoon, that was the first time I'd seen him really play out wide and with the system they play they did create a lot of problems, especially out wide.

"We have never had much luck playing at Torquay anyway, we've always been beaten because of a mistake from one of us or a set-piece, but they looked a decent team.

"We're disappointed to concede so quickly after scoring, we could have cleared the ball before they got the free-kick.''

And now Barron is hoping Ritchie Humphreys can continue his scoring form after netting his second of the season on Saturday. "It was a fantastic goal from Ritchie,'' he said. "I'm delighted for him, he's scored two already this season and it took him how long to do it last season.

"He is full of confidence and he's going out and playing well.

"He's back in the middle which he prefers and I think he is capable of getting ten or 12 goals from midfield now, he has the ability.''