AFTER a miserable opening to 2006, Hartlepool United are seeing out the year in style.

January started with three draws, two defeats and the manager being replaced.

December is ending with a club record seven successive wins, the latest of which came on Boxing Day, a 2-0 victory over Grimsby Town.

Promotion rivals Peterborough visit Victoria Park on Saturday in the final game of the year and Wilson, appointed in the summer, hopes to end the calendar year by making it 24 points from 24.

"We are finishing the year strongly and it's been a great time for us," he said.

"Things went on at the start of the year which weren't good for anyone at the club. It takes time to get over relegation, that's the case at any football club.

"But now there's some light at the end of the tunnel. No-one will get carried away with the form we are enjoying right now, just like we didn't get carried away when we weren't winning games earlier in the season.

"There's a long way to go but we are going in the right way. We want to keep it going and believe in what we are doing.

"You can see the belief in both boxes right now, we are defending well and taking our chances in the other area.

"There is a determination among the squad not to concede. Defenders take pride in keeping a clean sheet, just like a striker takes pride in scoring goals.

"At the moment we are in a decent position. It's not a good position yet - we are too many points adrift of the top few for me.

"But we will keep working away at it and, hopefully, we will get there.''

One of Wilson's transfer targets remains Mansfield striker Ritchie Barker, who scored his 15th of the season in the Boxing Day win at Darlington. Pools had an £80,000 bid accepted for the frontman earlier this season only for the move to fall down on personal terms.

But, with the departure of Stags boss Peter Shirtliff, Barker's future is up in the air again.

Caretaker boss Paul Holland said: "There is speculation Ritchie Barker may be leaving the club in January but he is very much part of my plans. I think that's 15 goals for him - how do you replace a striker of that calibre?"