HARTLEPOOL United defender James Sharp has said a big thank you to coach Colin West - for hitting him with some harsh words.

Sharp is in the Pool line-up this afternoon as his club aim for a club record-equalling seven games in a row at Cheltenham.

And the defender, who moved to Pool on the eve of the season from Andover Town in the Jewson Wessex League, admitted a kick up the backside from West has helped him settle into life as a professional footballer.

Former Reading trainee Sharp started the season in the Pool side, but after making four starts was left on the sidelines as Gary Strodder became available after suspension.

It was during his period on the sidelines that he woke up to the fact that he still had some way to go.

"I'm much fitter now than when I first arrived at the start of the season, but there is still a lot of work to be done yet'' he admitted.

"I've always thought of myself as an aggressive player, but one day in training Colin West called me a puff.

"That brought some aggression back and from then on I vowed to prove him wrong.

"I cannot thank the gaffer enough. I think I go through the first few games on adrenaline and I know I wasn't as fit as I should have been.

"I got a bit disheartened, but decided to get my head down and prove people wrong.''

Sharp got another chance in mid-December when Strodder's Achilles trouble flared up at the same time he was absent with a one-game ban and since then he has enjoyed the time of his life in the back line as Pool have won six games on the trot.

"Gary Strodder needs an operation and you wouldn't wish that on anyone, but I'm loving every minute of it,'' he admitted.

"At the start of the season I didn't understand what it all means to people. Now I've been here and living in the town for four months and everyone couldn't have been nicer to me.

"Micky Barron and Chris Westwood have been great on the pitch, talking to me all the time and they are super players.

"I had heard all about Micky at the start of the season and I was a bit scared because we had five centre-halves at the club, but the gaffer has kept his faith in me.''

Southend, Halifax, Scunthorpe, Barnet, Exeter and Doncaster have all been put to the Pool sword, but the side face the sternest of tests in the next two games, at sixth-placed Cheltenham this afternoon and leaders Chesterfield on Tuesday.

On-song midfielder Tommy Miller, who took his tally for the season to 13 in Tuesday's 3-1 LDV Vans Trophy win over Doncaster, admitted: "We have a couple of very hard away games. Cheltenham will be tough and Chesterfield very hard as well, but if we can take our home form into the away games we won't do too badly.

"Confidence is sky high and everyone is working hard together to create chances and we look like we can score all the time.

"If you look at the teams going for promotion and the play-offs we have given them all good games so far.

"We are capable of getting in the top three - no doubt about it.''

Pool boss Turner will field the same team for the sixth successive game as he targets the seven-game winning run of the Pool sides of 1956 and 1968.

"If we can come out of these games unbeaten we'll have done exceptionally well. It's going to be very hard against two very strong home teams. It's a good surface at Cheltenham and last season we should have got a result. There's no reason why we can't this year.

"I don't think we should go out fearing either of the two teams if we play to our capabilities. ''

Meanwhile, Doncaster's Simon Marples has hit out at Graham Laws after the Whitley Bay referee awarded a penalty against the defender in Tuesday's Cup tie.

Marples was pulled up for a foul on Ian Clark and he admitted: "Giving a penalty against me was an absolute joke.

"In my opinion, the ref had obviously made a mistake about the penalty call in the first half and wanted to level it up. Even the lad I was supposed to have fouled (Clark) couldn't believe his luck and told me so.''