AS a player Danny Wilson enjoyed some great times at Sheffield Wednesday, but as a manager perhaps not so.

Tonight the Hartlepool United manager takes his side to Hillsborough and a Carling Cup tie with his former club knowing he can heap more pressure on the current Wednesday chief.

After three winless games this season - including at Charlton last weekend when they threw away a two-goal lead - Brian Laws needs some respite.

Facing Pools, with three successive wins amid a good start to the season, might not be the most straight-forward task for Laws.

Wilson was sacked at the then Premiership club in March 2000, a decade earlier he was part of the most successful side in the club's history.

After victory at Championship side Scunthorpe in the last round, Pools will travel this afternoon confident of another.

"We go into it in good form and will enjoy the game,'' insisted Wilson. "There's massive pressure on Sheffield Wednesday - we go there to enjoy it. No-one will fancy us at all, apart from the boys in the dressing room and our supporters.

"They are a good side and want to get out of the Championship and back into the Premiership. They have some good players and we will have to be on our guard.

"I enjoyed my time there, I have fantastic memories. Professionally, it was probably my most rewarding time in terms of what we won, it was a great place to play football.

"It's a massive club with big support and we can all look forward to it.

"Getting through would be nice and it's a big thing for the club to do it.

"It's a bit of a reward - a good away tie - for battling so well at Scunthorpe in the last round. Let's look forward to it.''

The last time the sides met was in the 2005 League One play-off final, as Wednesday secured a return to the Championship.

But Pools won at Hillsborough in this competition in 2003, progressing 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

In charge of The Owls that night was Pools current director of sport, Chris Turner. Pools also field two ex-Wednesday players in Ritchie Humphreys and Richard Barker. Among Humphreys' tasks as a trainee was to clean Barker's boots.

Pools won comfortably at Port Vale on Saturday and Wilson admitted: "I think we've still got a lot more to show, but it's a great feeling to win three games in a row when you know we can play better and improve.

"The players know it as well. If you can win when playing within yourselves at times, then you are keeping something back for the future, which is great.''

Wilson has both Andy Monkhouse and Robbie Elliott back from suspension tonight. Monkhouse is available for the first time this season after a five-game suspension carried over from last season.

Home boss Laws is trying to sign both Sam Sodje from Reading and Akpo Sodje from Port Vale.