AS a winger in his playing days, Paul Stephenson knows the benefits of getting the ball wide.

So it's no suprise that the Hartlepool United boss has spent time on the training ground utilising more attacking options from the flanks, with his full-backs the subject of his ideas.

Stephenson wants both Darren Williams and Ritchie Humphreys to help out in attack and he's seen them do just that in recent weeks.

Williams almost created a late, late winner in last week's draw with Barnsley, getting up to put a teasing ball across goal, only for Eifion Williams to push it wide.

Tomorrow, for the game at Southend, Stephenson could include Thomas Butler in his plans for the first time since the winger was injured in the draw at Swansea in mid-January.

He came through an hour's reserve action unscathed on Wednesday.

With Chris Llewellyn feeling under the weather yesterday and missing training, the door could be open for Butler to be involved, although it will more likely mean a start for Matty Robson.

Whoever is on the left wing, Stephenson expects him to link up with his overlapping full-backs.

"It was a great effort by Eifion Williams to get there last week and credit to Darren Williams because he took the opportunity to get forward at the right time,'' said the temporary boss. "It was a great cross.

"I want to see my full backs getting forward when the opportunity presents itself.

"In the first-half we didn't quite get forward enough and I didn't see them stepping over the halfway line. Maybe that was because they didn't try to play and both the lads were worried about the ball coming back over their heads into their areas.''

Mark Tinkler is out of contention tomorrow. He suffered a reaction to his Achilles problems in the reserve game.

* Gerard Nash, the Ipswich Town defender, could face Pool tomorrow after moving to Southend on loan. The last of his three appearances for Pool this year was in the 3-0 home defeat to Blackpool.

* Rotherham look to have staved off the threat of liquidation after a takeover package for the financially-crippled League One club was agreed.

A group of Rotherham businessmen have stepped forward with ''a substantial level of investment and a far-reaching business plan to take the Millers forward''.

The group is led by Dennis Coleman of Rotherham-based property consultants and builders Pinder Projects, and Wickersley-based restaurant-owner Dino Maccio.

Read more about Hartlepool here.