FORMER Hartlepool United star Tommy Miller last night sent his full backing to his old teammates my insisting: "You can clinch promotion."

Pool take on Cheltenham at Victoria Park this afternoon in the first-leg of their Third Division play-off semi-final.

And Ipswich midfielder Miller, who was part of Chris Turner's side which suffered successive play-off defeats in 2000 and 2001, is convinced the current crop are good enough to clinch a place in the Second Division.

"They have come so close in both the last two years and I know what it felt like," said Miller, who joined Ipswich last summer in an £800,000 deal.

"But after the five straight wins that they have had they will be full of confidence and I'm confident they can do it.

"I think that in Cheltenham, Pool have got the hardest out of the other three teams that are in there. And if they can beat Cheltenham then I think they will find both Rushden and Rochdale a little easier."

Miller, from Shotton, would love to have been at Victoria Park this afternoon but Ipswich are taking on Manchester United at Portman Road.

But the Tractor Boys' clash does not kick-off until 5.35 and the 23-year-old, battling against a foot injury ahead of today's game, will be keeping his eye on Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday programme.

And if Pool do progress past Cheltenham then Miller admits that nobody will be able to stop him from going to the play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday.

"Last week we didn't play until the Sunday so I was watching the Pools score on Sky," said Miller, who finished as the club's top-scorer in both the last two seasons.

"And that's exactly what I will be doing on Saturday.

"Even if I'm fit enough to play I will still be trying to find out the result - I just wish it had been on another day so I could watch it at the Vic. But if they get to Cardiff I will definitely be there."

Miller keeps in touch with the Pool players and he rang a few of them last night to wish them the best of luck.

There have been a few additions to Turner's squad since the talented, free-scoring middle-man left in a record move last summer.

And Miller believes the Pool boss has done good business with the players he has drafted in since.

"I think Turner did well to get the players he has," he said. "Players like Ritchie Humphreys and Tommy Widdrington have been good additions and they have played at the top level.

"If players are brought in like them then any side is going to have a chance because they know the type of performance which is expected.

"There have been a few more since as well. Gordon Watson has done a tremendous job and the goals he has scored prove that.

"I actually think that they should have been able to go up in the top three but the start which they had killed them.

"I don't know what it is about Pool starts because the last two years were exactly the same.

"But credit to Turner and the lads because they have bounced back and reached a play-off spot."

Miller's career at Ipswich has been a little slow to take off, but now he is being talked about as a player who manager George Burley wants to build his team around next season.

Burley's men, who beat Middlesbrough 1-0 in midweek, are threatened by relegation at the moment and are two points behind Sunderland with two games to play.

And Miller said: "Life is a lot better now because I'm playing but it was getting frustrating spending so much time in the reserves.

"I was going to matches and having to watch the games from the stand, but I'm enjoying it now."

"If we can and Pools can go up then that would be brilliant."

* Approximately 700 tickets will be on sale this morning from the club shop from 10am for a limited period only. The club has also repeated its appeal for fans to get to the ground early today.

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