POSITIVE Hartlepool United boss Chris Turner is looking for a festive repeat as he leads his side into their busy Christmas programme.

Turner takes his side to Halifax this afternoon, the first of six games in a three-week period.

Last year's programme saw Pool rake in 12 points from 12 - a run that propelled them from ninth spot to fifth and ultimately into the play-offs.

Pool won their last outing, a 2-1 victory over Scunthorpe in the LDV Vans Trophy at Victoria Park on Monday, and with no injury worries to report, Turner has the rare chance to stick with a winning team this afternoon.

"It's nice to have some stability at last,'' said Turner. "It's good to be able to pick the same side for six or seven games as that gives everyone some confidence.

"Then if we can get four or five wins out of it, the points throw you right up there among the leaders - hopefully we can do that.

"If you have a settled team and get some good results then it snowballs. We have had two good home performances which have given everyone a lift and if we can go to Halifax and continue that with a result it really sets up. After that it is Barnet and then we could be talking about a run of four games.

"Hopefully we can play like we did in the last away game at Cardiff. We lost that day, but it was more down to our misfortune rather than their ability.

"There's no reason why we cannot continue from there. We played very well and people told me afterwards that we were the best side they had played all season.''

Pool this afternoon come up against Gary Jones, the club record £100,000 buy who was allowed to move to The Shay during the summer on a free transfer.

Jones played an instrumental part in helping keep Pool in the League when he arrived in March 1999, but struggled in front of goal last season.

He is currently enjoying his best scoring run since leaving Pool with three goals in six games. Last season his best run came at the same time, when he bagged four goals over the Christmas period for Pool.

Three seasons back, he netted 28 times for Notts County, but found the net 23 times after Christmas and Turner admitted: "Gary is one of the reasons why we stayed in the League. His arrival gave everyone a real lift and I never had any problems with him.

"He lost a lot of confidence through not scoring and he was travelling 200 miles a day, which got him down.

"Mark Lillis asked about him and we allowed him to go there on loan, but if a move didn't work out we would have happily taken him back and he would have been part of my plans.

"He did very well in the first play-off against Darlington. He holds the ball up well and lets other people come into the game. But when a striker doesn't have any luck in front of goal it affects his confidence.''

Craig Midgley has formed Turner's front-line partnership with Kevin Henderson in recent weeks and the Pool boss is delighted with the way the Bradford-born front-man has taken his chance.

Anth Lormor and Tim Sperrevik are both back from injury, but will stay on the bench as Midgley continues.

Turner said: "Midge has come in and done excellently. He is forming a good understanding with Kevin Henderson and he is now playing on a Saturday the way he trains every day of the week.

"I had a bit of a pep talk with him the other week and told him not to worry if he isn't scoring. Some strikers base their game on creating chances for others, while some are always in the right place at the right time to score.

"Midge works hard and so does Hendo, and they are proving a handful for any defence.

"Their hard work allows the likes of Tommy Miller to get forward and Paul Stephenson and Mark Tinkler are capable of getting forward from deep and attacking defences.