CHRIS Turner is determined to keep his Hartlepool United players passing their way out of the Third Division.

There is a belief that playing attractive football will not lead to promotion from the bottom league, however manager Turner is convinced that is untrue and he is aiming to prove the doubters wrong.

Pool entertain rivals Darlington on Saturday at Victoria Park and the hosts will be full of confidence following an impressive display against First Division side Nottingham Forest on Monday night.

And Turner indicated that he will not change his philosophy on the game, whether it be this weekend or at any other time this season.

"If you give the ball easy and work hard then we can go up by playing football," said the Pool boss. "If you look at Brighton last season they managed to do it.

"The myth about if you play good football in this league then you will not get promoted is rubbish.

"Brighton proved it and I'm sure that if we continue to improve on the way we have ben playing already this season then playing good football can get us out of this division."

In Pool's opening three games they have lacked that killer instinct in front of goal, even though they hit three past Shrewsbury Town last Saturday.

For all their possession and positive play the final ball at times has been disappointing, but the signs are there that an improvement is being made.

Kevin Henderson is the only forward to have scored so far, but Ritchie Humphreys is showing more class every minute he's on the pitch.

And Turner believes when Wales Under-18 international Jermaine Easter returns from suspension for the visit of the Quakers, he will have another addition to the armoury.

"Ritchie has been doing well and I think that once he has found the net he will then be on a roll," he said. "We have got Anth Lormor who we can throw on as well to keep the strikers on their toes.

"But when Jermaine returns then that will add that little more firepower to us. He is still young but if we throw him on the for the last ten minutes or so then he will frighten defences with his pace."

Read more about Hartlepool here.