RICHARD Barker is firmly of the belief that Nottingham Forest hold no fears for Hartlepool United tomorrow.

Pools go to the City Ground to face the twice-former European Cup winners in League One.

After their experience of playing at Leeds United last month, Barker feels his team-mates can tackle Forest with confidence.

Pools lost 2-0 at Elland Road, but dominated the game. They fell one down after 20 minutes and from then on were in control for long periods.

Barker believes his team-mates will have learned from Leeds and is hoping for a better return tomorrow.

"I've played at the City Ground a few times for Rotherham in the Championship, so know what it's like,'' he said.

"They struggled a bit at the start of the season but have now hit some good form and will give us a test.

"It's a nice pitch and it should be an open game, which suits us. We can go there and use our pace and counter-attacking ability.

"Leeds was a fantastic performance the other week and going to Forest after that game can put us in good stead.

"We won't be going there thinking 'this is Nottingham Forest' and being overawed by what has gone on there in the past.

"It's just the name Notts Forest, nothing else. We went to Elland Road and it probably took us 20 minutes to get going.''

Barker, with four goals to his name this season, added: "Me, Andy Monkhouse and Willie Boland have played in the Championship and played at the City Ground, so maybe it's up to us to get around the younger lads and make sure we don't start the same way we did at Leeds.

"Away from home the onus isn't on us to attack, but we like to play that way. We can pass teams off the park, so teams are not going to come to Victoria Park and be open and let us pass it around.

"Walsall came to play on the counter attack and play a tight game. The week before we went to Leyton Orient and they were top of the league and we tore them apart.

"One of their defenders said to me that he couldn't believe the pace in our team.

"I think people know what we are capable of. We've got unbelievable pace and if we can get into an open game we can hurt teams.''

Darlington today travel to London for this weekend's game at Dagenham and Redbridge still hoping to bolster their injury-hit squad.

Manager Dave Penney has this week made enquries about various targets with a view to bringing players in on loan, but Hull City striker Michael Bridges will not be one of them.

The former Sunderland forward has been made available for loan and, with Quakers striker Pawel Abbott sidelined, signing Bridges would have provided a big boost for Darlington.

But clubs higher up the Football League are also interested in the 29-year-old and Penney said: "Bridges won't be coming here. A fax was sent out to all clubs saying that he was available for loan. It looks as though he's going to a Championship club."