THERE were few people more satisfied at Victoria Park on Saturday than Mark Tinkler.

The Hartlepool midfielder was determined to put one over the side he left a month ago and was instrumental in ensuring a single-goal victory.

For 45 minutes he orchestrated the show from midfield and it was his surge into the penalty area which won the penalty for Tommy Miller to convert and make it seven home games without defeat.

Shades of last season? You'd better believe it.

A 1-0 win courtesy of a spot kick might, to the outsider at least, look a little unflattering.

But don't be fooled by the scoreline - it could and should easily have been more than a single goal against a side lacking any real conviction.

There again, if Pool keeper Anthony Williams hadn't pushed out Martin Carruthers' second-minute penalty it might have been a different tale.

But just like last season's affair it was a tale of two penalties. Only this time the roles were reversed and Pool netted theirs while Southend paid the penalty.

Visiting boss David Webb bemoaned the fact he had no-one in his team to take the game by the scruff of the neck and drive his team on.

Of course he hadn't - he allowed him to leave Roots Hall for Victoria Park at the end of November.

Any player will be fired up to impress against his old teammates, but Tinkler was more than just fired up. Class will always shine ahead of blood and thunder and he doesn't look bad for a free transfer either!

And he rubbed it in to the extent that three of his teammates were booked for crude lunges on their old compatriot and Phil Whelan was ready to strangle him after Tinkler won Pool the decisive penalty.

"Of course it's nice to win against your old club, but it's more important to get the three points and get the ball rolling,'' he said.

"Was it a penalty? I don't know, but judging by Phil Whelan's reaction he was going to throttle me.

"I got a couple of bangs to the head and there were a few elbows flying around and I got a good reaction from their supporters at the start - but they were singing something else at the end!

"There's a couple of the lads I still speak to, but they are having a bit of a bad time at the moment.

"A couple were staying up here with me on Saturday night. I'm not the sort to rub it in after the win, but I probably will after a few drinks!''

And Tinkler added: "This result puts last week's defeat to bed and it was important to start winning again straight away.

"The lads have been saying that this is similar to last season when we went on a good home run before Christmas and it's always nice to do that because it sets you up.''

Carruthers might have come in for some ribbing on Saturday night from Tinkler after he squandered the perfect chance.

Just 90 seconds had elapsed when Gary Strodder brought down Scott Forbes, but Williams went full stretch low to his left to keep out the former Darlington striker's spot kick.

Ten minutes later and the game could have seen four goals. Midgley homed in on goal only for Daryl Flahaven to keep it out and Kevin Henderson's similar effort had a similar outcome before Ian Clark lashed the rebound across goal.

Ben Abbey then tried his luck from long range, but Williams pushed it out and apart from a couple of other long-range drives in the first half, Pool's keeper was never in danger of losing his clean sheet.

But this was Tinkler's day. Another driving run into the area saw him upended by Whelan, the cue for a few angry words and actions aimed at the ex-Southend man before Miller confidently stroked home goal number nine of the season.

Just before the break Tinkler smashed in a first-time 30-yard effort that was destined for the roof of the Town End net until Flahaven's fingertips kept it out.

Pool boss Turner saluted his new recruit and admitted: "Mark is a quality player. I said to him that he's playing in the Third Division, but he's away above that standard.

"He's been training with Nick Ward (Pool's fitness coach) for extra fitness to get that little bit of sharpness.

"He and Paul Stephenson complement each other and he was winning tackles and headers and all the second balls and he can pass the ball.

"He can put his foot in where it hurts and I've been looking for that sort of player since I came here to do that role.

"He picked up a booking, but I thought they were trying to intimidate him a lot, and one or two of their players lost their heads a little, but I was pleased with our reaction and we kept cool.''

After the break it was about digging in.

Pool never displayed the flair shown before the break but there again, they were never seriously threatened and Williams was in little danger.

And while Tinkler took the first-half honours, no-one worked for 90 minutes more than Midgley, whose unselfish running and willingness to chase unsettled the visitors