MICHAEL Mackay is living the football dream at Hartlepool United - and this week the striker has seen the dream turn into reality.

Danny Wilson signed the striker from Consett in February after he bagged 43 goals in half a Northern League season.

Since then Mackay, who turns 25 next week, has had to wait for his chance to impress.

He has made three substitute appearances this season, on the back of seeing a dream goal ruled out for offside in the final game of last campaign.

But he had been on the pitch less than a minute on Tuesday night when he put Pools level with Carlisle at 2-2 and followed his first Football League goal with the only strike in the reserve game with Darlington, his fifth second-string effort of the season.

Wilson firmly believes in Mackay's untapped potential and, while the striker still has some way to go, he will be given every chance to make it at Victoria Park.

A place on the bench at Nottingham Forest is Mackay's likely spot today. Twelve months ago he was lining up - and scoring twice - for Consett at North Shields.

"He's a goalscorer who gets into the right areas and gets into the box,'' said Wilson. "There is a naivetà at times but he has the energy and willingness to get in there.

"I see a lot of goals in him. He is still learning the game big style, but he has energy and enthusiasm, a fantastic freshness about him which is rubbing off on the boys around him.

"We've seen a great improvement in him since he came to the club, certainly technically.

"He is getting an understanding about making the right runs and we are helping him on the that side of things. What we don't want to stifle is his natural talent.''

Wilson added: "He just wants to play football, in a childish way, if you know what I mean. He just goes out in training and in games and enjoys himself.

"We do not want to lose that by getting him into the professional way of things. He can learn the game a bit better, but he is the sort of player who will get on the end of things - he is a goalscorer.

"Richard Barker will take the hits for him, that's for sure. But what he has got is genuine pace, terrific pace.

"He can be fantastic to watch and the lads in the dressing room have really taken to him because of his attitude. The lads think he is fantastic.

"He has great energy, can run all day. He's a very fit boy, probably one of the fittest players at the club, which isn't a bad thing when you consider his background. He's never been involved in the professional game and it's full credit to him for the way he is going about it.

"He's not a drinker or a smoker, he wants to play football.''

Wilson will use Barker and Ian Moore up front this afternoon. Barker celebrated his first goal from open play this season in midweek, while Moore signed for Forest for £1m ten years ago.

The Pools boss was happy with his side's reaction to last Saturday's below-par display against Walsall when they took on Carlisle.

And he believes the performance has set them up for a big test this afternoon.

Pools have impressed away from Victoria Park this season, and in their last away game thumped leaders Leyton Orient 4-2.

Forest have picked up after a sluggish start to the season but Wilson insisted: "We go there with confidence.

"We don't want a defeat in any game, but I would have taken one the other night if we hadn't equalised because the performance was far better than in the previous game.

"Now we go away from home and try to put pressure on the home side, like teams have done to us.

"The onus is on them to come out and go at us, which could suit our game.

"We have no fear. They are a good side with some quality players and, on their day, will beat anyone in this division, that's for sure.

"They will have a big crowd behind them, but we won't be intimidated by it.

"We went to Leeds in front of a big crowd and we will take the experience from that. We know the lads won't freeze.''

Midfielder Lee Bullock has gone to Bury on loan after returning to Pools from a similar spell at Mansfield.