WHEN Chris Westwood gifted the ball to Julian Joachim last season and the striker raced away to net, some wags at Victoria Park suggested it wouldn't be the last time he's involved in a Walsall goal.

Little did they know what was to follow.

Then a Hartlepool United defender, Westwood's mistake gifted the visitors the lead.

But it was no secret he was on his way to Paul Merson's side and how the terrace predictions would ring true.

On Saturday, just seven minutes into the return to the club where he matured into one of the classiest defenders in the Football League, Westwood was involved in another goal.

This time he scored it himself and in a red shirt in front of the Town End who bestowed hero status upon him. The cheek of it.

His celebration could have caused a riot.

Instead it was marked with even less enthusiasm than when former Old Trafford legend Denis Law, back-heeled Manchester United to relegation as a Man City player in 1974.

Westwood, a 40-1 shot to open the scoring, acted more like a man whose numbers came up on the lottery, but forgot to buy the ticket.

Bizarrely, his muted repsonse brought a round of applause from the home fans.

Manager Martin Scott felt the first-half had the tone of a testimonial game, that incident added to the event.

"I honestly didn't enjoy the goal,'' he reflected.

"I said before the game that if I scored I've got friends at the club and too much respect for them and the fans to celebrate in front of them.

"The reception I got brought a lump to my throat. It was an emotional day for me to play against lads who I have been best friends with over the last six years - it was weird.

" I didn't know what sort of reception I was going to get.

"I was told that it would be good, but you never know. It was a massive decision to leave, but I've done it now and have to get on with it.

"There's some new lads at the club this season and they will do well again, I have no doubt about it that they will be up there.''

Four games in and Pool aren't up there yet. They have yet to show they are capable, although the second half was probably their most sustained piece of pressure of the new season.

Antony Sweeney claimed the equaliser, curling the ball through the a busy penalty box and, although Westwood might have deflected it over keeper Andy Oakes, the defender was playing it down and there's little doubt it was Sweeney's strike.

Saddlers boss Paul Merson revealed Westwood was always on his wanted list after his performance for Pool in the 2-1 defeat at the Bescot Stadium last season.

"I judge players on how the play against me and my team and he was magnificent that game,'' he said.

Merson's judgement has improved with age. After facing Pool at Victoria Park as an Arsenal player in 1995, he tipped teenager Matty Hysen for big things. He's now at Horden in the Arndale Northern League after just six Pool outings.

Much to Martin Scott's annoyance, Pool have conceded early goals in both their home games this season. Bradford scored after eight minutes, Westwood seven, and both against sides who have come to Victoria Park with a priority of stifling Pool.

The Bantams played with two tight banks of four sitting deep, The Saddlers with one up front and five across midfield.

Scott insists it's up to his players to be clever enough to take the game to the opposition from the off and, with his words ringing in their ears, he will expect Pool to start like the proverbial express train against Darlington tomorrow night.

"I think it was a really frustrating day for us all,'' admitted Scott. "One thing I would like to say is that as a club - and that includes everyone, players, staff and fans - we have to come to terms with how teams are going to come to us and play.

"They will put men behind the ball and look to keep it tight against us and we have got to deal with it.

"It's frustrating, not easy, not nice and not pretty, but that's what we are up against because of what we have done in the last few years.

"We have been at this level for two full seasons now and there is no surprise factor.

"Teams are giving us more respect than last season and we have to deal with it a lot, lot better than we did in the first 45.

"We have to start games brighter and sharper, with more tempo and urgency and put more pressure on the opponent in possession.

"In the first half we were second best, but we also have to learn how to play against teams who want to shut up shop.

"They are always going to try and kill the game and we can't be frustrated by it, but our quality has to be improve.

"It did improve in the second half, it was a lot, lot better and we had the urgency, we won more tackles and more second balls to set the tone.''

After most of Pool's first-half attacks were isolated movements, Thomas Butler set the tone 30 seconds into the second-half, firing in a low shot from distance that Andy Oakes pushed out.

And from then Pool, with Butler often at the heart of it, pressed. Adam Boyd, introduced after half-an-hour, did enough to secure a start tomorrow night.

With teams willing to sit back, Boyd has enough in his locker to unlock the tightest of defences. He's scored more than enough goals from nothing to prove it.

Butler's shot was parried by Oakes and the winger was bright enough to race on and collect the loose ball at an angle and tee-up Sweeney.

The scorer had a big chance to win it in the closing minutes.

As Steve Staunton, who hardly broke sweat all day, tried to head back to Oakes, it fell woefully short.

Sweeney nipped in, but instead of taking a touch and smashing it in, his attempted looping header cleared both keeper and bar.