MICKY Barron has had enough of spending his Saturday's away from football.

And, after almost 18 months of matchdays being spent at the MetroCentre instead of Victoria Park, the Hartlepool United skipper is back in the side.

Tuesday's game with Colchester was his first appearance since leading his team out at Cardiff in the play-off final back in May.

Even then, it was one of only 13 starts he made last season.

Add in the injury problems long-serving Barron had the previous campaign, when he missed ten games with a hernia problem, and to say that Christmas has arrived early for the defender, who turns 31 on December 22, is an understatement.

He will start today against Bournemouth, a game which Pool cannot afford to lose after two home defeats to Tamworth and Colchester this week.

"I played four or five reserve games but this was totally different and maybe it takes some time to find your legs,'' he said.

"It's been a long way back and it's disheartening at times as well, especially after last season. Hopefully it's all in the past now.

"I played with a hernia towards the end of the season before last and it's been 18 months of hell - not only for me but for my wife as well, because she's taken the brunt of it.''

He admitted: "I felt a bit tired and got a bit of cramp towards the end but hopefully I will be ready to go again on Saturday.

"I lasted until 85 minutes or so and was a bit surprised how little time was left - I thought there was 15 or 20 to go.

"I was pleased to last that long in a game that was played at a quick tempo.

"Towards the end I got into their box, nearly got my moment of glory, but couldn't get the ball on my right foot.

"It took an age to get back and I think that's when the cramp set in. It was a quick game, that's what we wanted.''

But that quick game didn't earn any points, as a number of chances were missed and a single Jamie Cureton goal was enough for the visitors to secure their eighth win in a row.

"I think the biggest indication is that I spoke to Neill Danns after the match and he said they had been battered and took home a 1-0 win,'' he said.

"When you look at the 90 minutes, we deserved something. To concede gives them some hope and we couldn't take the chances.

"It sounds daft, but their goal was exactly the sort of goal you get when you have won seven on the trot and the sort you concede when things are going against you.

"When it's going well the chance Neill Collins put wide would have been our fourth and it wouldn't have mattered if he missed - it shouldn't have been the chance for an equaliser.

"We put them under a hell of a lot of pressure but couldn't break them down.''

And Barron admitted words were exchenged in the dressing room over the only goal.

"A few lads, myself included, had a bit of a pop at Dimi (Konstantopoulos) after the game in the dressing room,'' he said. "It's all from frustration and I said to him that I would be the first to apologise if I was wrong.

"He didn't have a lot to do, maybe one half-chance in the first half, but that's it. To concede a goal like that, which he maybe could have stopped, is disappointing.

"To be fair to him, he was at the front post because he had to be there, then the ball deflected off me to the other side and their lad knocked it in.

"People played well the other night. It's hard to take that we lost, but when we looked at it later and appreciated the effort was there and the tackles were flying in, we know we are doing things right.

"It's hard to take at the moment, we are not getting the results at home. We've won five away from home and only two at home, last year it was the other way round. Before Christmas we couldn't win away and couldn't lose at home.

"If things were the other way round, it wouldn't be so disappointing. To lose at home is disappointing and the fans are going to react.''

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