ENGLAND take a back seat this afternoon on Teesside as Hartlepool United entertain Darlington.

The Division Three rivals go head to head as the national spotlight is on England and Germany at Wembley.

The Victoria Park crowd is expected to be down on normal derby attendances, with around 3,500 tickets sold by last night's 5pm cut-off point.

But Pool boss Chris Turner admitted: "What happens at Wembley at 3pm doesn't bother me - it might afterwards, but not at the time.

"I am concerned with what is happening with our game. It's disappointing that that gate will be affected - it will be nowhere near what it was for the play-off last season.

"The regulars will be there, but I think the floating fans, those with no Premier League games to watch who might have come along, won't bother, which is disappointing.

"It's a big game for everyone, it's the first one everyone looks for.''

Turner is confident his side can put last season's double play-off defeat behind them.

Pool lost twice to the Quakers in the battle for Wembley and the Pool boss confessed: "It was a disappointment in the end to lose out, but the experience was great.

"And remember, 12 months earlier we were playing games to try to stay in the League - that's how far we have come.

Last week's win over York was Pool's first on home soil this season and Turner added: "Even if this club finishes tenth, ninth or eighth, it is still relative success - I won't take it as a poor year.

"It will still be another year of improvement and if we can get in there again it will be a fantastic season.

" There are always some teams who come up on the rails towards the latter part of the season but we want to be in the top ten by Christmas - that gives a great platform to go from.

"Someone will come from late and the play-offs always give that little incentive for teams to get involved. Most teams feel they can get in there.

"We got our first home win last week and now we need another 14, like last season! Seriously, we will do well to emulate that achievement.''

Pool used last season's derby with Quakers as a springboard to better things - the 2-0 win on October 2 kick-started a charge from 22nd spot to the play-offs.

"I think in that game they perhaps took us a little bit too lightly and they got turned over because of it. They won't do the same again, just like they didn't in the play-offs.''

Pool have suffered injury woe in recent weeks and Turner has seven players missing this afternoon.

Lee Fitzpatrick is back in the frame after a viral infection that followed a leg infection and he is likely to be on the bench.

"The lads have really put the effort in over the last two weeks," said Turner.

"We threw away two victories by conceding stupid late goals against Mansfield and Macclesfield, but since then they have really knuckled down and got on with things.

"Given the injury situation they could have used that as an excuse, but instead they have gone the other way and stepped up a notch.'