MICKY Barron has revealed the cool and calculated way Danny Wilson has transformed Hartlepool United's fortunes in recent weeks.

As Pools head for Bury today looking to make it six League Two victories in a row - and there's also the chance of setting a club record of five victories in succession without conceding a goal - there has been a swift transformation at Victoria Park.

One goal down at half-time at Accrington Stanley on November 18 and Pools were lurking around the lower reaches of the table.

But they turned the game around to win 2-1 and since then have followed it up with four more wins to move into the play-off zone.

Barron, now working under his eighth manager at Victoria Park, admits Wilson's ways have proved a winner.

"I think he's very calm in everything he does, he knows exactly what he wants to do and doesn't waver from that,'' he said.

"He wants us to play good football and enjoy ourselves in what we do. He commands everyone's respect in the dressing room - he doesn't have to shout and bawl like some do, he tells you and talks to you like a man and he is respected for that.

"He lost his temper at Accrington the other week at half-time, he wasn't too happy that day, but when you get a manager who does that you get a response.

"When you get a manager who comes in every week shouting and bawling at you, you tend to switch off. But he's calm and confident in what he does and he wants us to be confident in our ability.

"When he does shout a lot of the lads react to it - and look at the response we have had in the last few weeks.''

Pools will come across Martin Scott this afternoon, the Bury assistant manager who was sacked as manager at Victoria Park at the start of the year.

And while goodwill is wished to all at Christmas, Barron feels it won't be extended from the travelling fans.

"I think the fans will probably have something to say on the day, a few chants and a few harsh words,'' he said. "But the lads will speak to him. There's no gripes - whatever happened happened and you move on.

"I will shake his hand. Personally I don't have a problem with him.

"He tried to do everything to a very high standard and if it dropped below that standard then it was disappointing. It didn't work out for him here, but he's gone to Bury now and he's helped their manager a lot and helped them become a better team.

"They have been on a very good run, after they were struggling at one point, so we have to be on our guard.

"I don't want to say too much about Martin - it's not about that, it's about beating Bury and a game we go into full of confidence.''

Last week's win over Rochdale came on the back of successive away wins at Notts County and Bristol Rovers.

Bury can move level on points with Pools this afternoon, but Barron admits confidence and self-belief couldn't be higher in the Pools camp.

"We cannot ask for any more after what has gone on in the last two away performances, they have been textbook,'' he said. "We've defended well and scored when we have had the chances. It's been brilliant to be part of. We won back-to-back away games and before the last game (at home to Rochdale) the manager told us to go out and not let ourselves down in front of our own fans.

"We've played some good stuff away from home and it's just what we want to continue doing.''

Events this week, with Bury kicked out of the FA Cup after fielding an ineligible player - Stephen Turnbull, who is on loan from Pools, could add spice to the occasion, but Wilson insisted: "As far as we are concerned, it is a match between two of the form teams in the division.

"We are three points ahead of them at the moment and that is the minimum gap we want to have by five o'clock on Saturday. Ideally, it will be six points.

"What has happened to Bury in the cup is nobody's business but theirs and what has happened at this football club in the past is now history.

"Other people can talk all they want about the other factors surrounding the game but I can assure them that all we are thinking about is how to get the three points.

"We have built up some nice momentum in recent weeks and we want to keep that going into a very important spell."