CHRIS Turner is pinning his faith in Mark Robinson - and the 19-year-old is determined to repay his boss.

Robinson was handed his first start since August by the Hartlepool boss in Saturday's win at Plymouth after Sam Shilton was struck down by flu.

After an impressive performance on the left-flank, Robinson will continue against Lincoln at Victoria Park tonight as Pool aim to make it 20 League games without defeat.

"Sam still hasn't trained since last week, but even if he had I wouldn't want to replace Mark. He did very well on Saturday,'' said Turner.

Robinson played the first four games of the season before being taken out of the firing line by Turner, and after a six-month break is determined to play his part as Pool go for promotion.

"I found out that Sam was ill when we were on the way to Plymouth and all the lads were saying that I would be in,'' he said. "Then Colin West told me to get an early night when we arrived at the hotel.

"The gaffer has said that if people come in and do well then he will stick with them and I hope I did enough on Saturday to play against Lincoln.

"I thought I was playing then Stuart Elliott came up to the hotel because he knows Neil Aspin, and he said there was an inspection planned because the pitch was in a bit of a mess. I was keeping my fingers crossed it was going to be on.

"I was rested after starting the season and I think I've had the longest rest ever. But Westy said I'd been playing well for the reserves and that was a good confidence booster.''

Turner has talked of Robinson and fellow teenager Adam Boyd as part of the future of the club and Robinson added: "That's a great boost when you hear things like that.

"The gaffer said to me and Boydy that even though we have been out of the team we are the club's future.

"But the lads have been doing great and confidence is sky-high. We've got two home games this week and the gaffer has said that he wants six points after winning at Plymouth.

"They had a really good home record, but we deserved to beat them.''

After taking on Lincoln - the only team to beat Pool since November 25 when they knocked them out of the LDV Vans Trophy at Sincil Bank on January 30 - Pool entertain Halifax on Saturday.

Pool are four points ahead of fifth-placed Orient and a further point ahead of Blackpool and Turner knows this week's double header could go a long way to securing success in May.

"This is a good opportunity for us to put some more points on the board,'' said Turner. "We could get eight and seven points above the two teams below us and if we can do that again at the weekend as well all the better.

"Darlington play Orient on Saturday and they need the points - they could do us a real favour.

"This week could give us a very good chance of cementing our place, but there is a lot of work to be done.

"Saturday was a great result. We needed to win after five draws and it was maybe three points that a lot of people didn't expect us to get because they have a very good home record. But we went to difficult places like Cheltenham and Chesterfield and got good results there as well.

"I said before going to Plymouth that we would go there confident and we did just that.''

Pool will be without Darren Knowles tonight on medical advice after he was knocked unconscious in a clash of heads with teammate Chris Westwood at Home Park.

Neil Aspin is likely to replace him and midfielder Mark Tinkler sits out the final game of a two-match ban.

"Darren is feeling OK now, but we have to go with what the experts say,'' said Turner.

Lincoln's results have picked up since Alan Buckley replaced Phil Stant as manager, but they are still just three points off the bottom.

Pool (from): Williams, Aspin, Westwood, Barron, Sharp, Robinson, Clark, Miller, Stephenson, Henderson, Lormor, Hollund, Midgley, Fitzpatrick, Easter, Boyd.

l New Pool defender Gordon Simms could make his debut for Northern Ireland under-21s in Bulgaria tonight after manager Roy Millar revealed: "We will make two or three changes and we will put some fresh legs in.''

Simms, signed from Wolves a fortnight ago, was an unused substitute in last Friday's defeat to the Czech Republic