TOMMY Miller's future is likely to be decided today as the in-demand midfielder heads for a double round of transfer talks.

The Hartlepool United midfielder is booked in for a meeting with Ipswich boss George Burley this morning, before heading cross-country to Coventry.

As Pool started life without Miller with a 1-1 pre-season opener at Blyth, the 22-year-old was deep in transfer talks with Coventry boss Gordon Strachan.

Those negotiations will resume this afternoon at Highfield Road, after looking in at Portman Road.

He spent Friday with Crewe boss Dario Gradi, but the First Division outfit are likely to miss out on their man, despite having a bid of £750,000 accepted by Pool chairman Ken Hodcroft last week.

Ipswich and Coventry have both lodged identical offers, which are believed to take the transfer to the million pound mark with additional clauses.

Pool boss Chris Turner signed Port Vale's Tommy Widdrington, Birmingham's Jon Bass and Mansfield's Darrell Clarke on Friday and is confident of snapping up another target today ahead of their Norwegian tour which begins on Friday.

Turner is hoping to seal a deal for a former England under-21 striker to provide competition for front men Kevin Henderson, Anth Lormor and Jermaine Easter.

Pool handed run outs to two on-trial strikers on Saturday, but Christian Lee was forced to cut short his chance with hamstring trouble. Lee, formerly with Bristol Rovers, Gillingham and Northampton, played alongside Michael Yates, a former Liverpool trainee now at Dundee.

Pool took the lead through home-grown Colin McKenzie who rifled home after Paul Arnison's cross wasn't cleared.

In monsoon conditions, the fired-up home side drove forward only to be denied by Martin Hollund on three occasions.

Referee Stephen Ord had his work cut out as the home side's physical approach angered the Pool squad. Yates and Kevin Henderson were both felled by off-the-ball challenges and Pool assistant manager Colin West revealed he was forced to have words with the referee during the interval.

Pool had instigated the game to raise funds for the UniBond League outfit and West said: "It was a good opportunity to see how the youngsters are progressing in a competitive game.

"It was a bit physical at times, but the youngsters have to learn to stand up for themselves and not be pushed around.

"Both managers had a chat with the referee at half time, and thankfully it calmed down a bit in the second half.

"The weather didn't help. It was the first game for both clubs and we expected them to take the game to us, although not quite as physically as they did. Some of it was down to the conditions, but there's no place for elbows and that kind of stuff. ''

Blyth levelled through substitute Calvin Magnus who beat substitute keeper Jim Provett to the ball.

West added: "I thought the lads on trial did well, but we haven't had the chance to work with them on patterns of play or anything like that yet - it has mainly been physical stuff.''

Pool will field their first-choice squad at Billingham Town on Wednesday night, including the new trio, and West said: "Friday was a good day for us to sign the lads. It's a culmination of a few weeks' hard work, we've been talking to them all and then getting them in - it doesn't come together easily.''