JUBILANT boss Chris Turner yesterday urged Torquay goal hero Lee Fitzpatrick to play his way to a new contract at Hartlepool.

Fitzpatrick, 22, scored in Pool's 3-1 victory at Victoria Park on Tuesday night after coming on for the injured Paul Stephenson, and Turner is hopeful that the young midfielder, whose contract is up at the end of the season, can repeat his performance in the club's remaining games.

"Lee was given an opportunity against Torquay due to Paul's Stephenson's wrist injury; and he took his chance very well," he said.

"He had a very good game and scored a fantastic goal to put the seal on his performance.

"I can't possibly comment on whether Lee will be offered a new contract at this stage but all I can say is that if he plays like that every week we will have to look at the situation."

Former Blackburn star Fitzpatrick, however, is not confident that he can win the club over.

Having mainly being restricted to the substitutes bench all season, the young midfielder has started only 11 games but agrees that it is up to him to prove that he can maintain the kind of performance that earned him a goal against Torquay.

Speaking on the club's website, the young midfielder said: "I don't know what the future holds for me."

"It's up to me to keep working hard in training and making the most of any chances I get between now and the end of the season."

Manager of the month Turner also took time to salute his players after going 13 games unbeaten - one match away from equalling a 10-year benchmark set in 1991 during Alan Murray's promotion season.

He said: "It was a solid performance against Torquay, who are no pushovers, and I am proud of the effort we put in.

"I am very pleased with the way it's going and 13 games unbeaten is a great achievement.

"But we have concentrate on each game as it comes, starting with the Mansfield game on Saturday."

Meanwhile, Turner remains confident that his squad are big enough to deal with any suspension or injury problems, despite a few of his players walking disciplinary tightropes.

Chris Westwood, Mark Tinkler and James Sharp are all one booking away from match bans while skipper Michael Barron looks set to miss the Rochdale game following his sending off against Torquay.

Stephenson, who has a fractured wrist, is also expected to be out for the next four weeks on the recommendation of an orthopaedic surgeon.

Turner said: "I feel the squad is big enough to cope at the moment especially when we have players like Neil Aspin, who has been simply fantastic since joining us.

"He came on against Macclesfield and shored up the defence while against Torquay he was simply outstanding again."

l The saga of crisis-club Hull will come to an end today when administrators return to the High Court.

It is hoped the court-appointed administrators will have found a buyer to ensure the club's future. If not by the end of tomorrow the Third Division outfit may cease to exist.

The administrators have been working for the last two weeks to secure the club's future following a High Court winding-up order issued by Customs & Excise and the Inland Revenue, who are thought to be owed around £900,000.

At the first hearing they were granted a two-week stay of execution