Andy Monkhouse made an instant return to the Hartlepool United side, after completing his two-game ban.

He replaced Colin Larkin in the side to face Southend United at Victoria Park in a game Pools cannot afford to lose.

Southend have not won in nine and lie below Pools in the League One table.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders; Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley; Jones, Sweeney, Gamble, Monkhouse; Boyd, O'Donovan. Subs: Cook (gk), Humphreys, McSweeney, Behan, Brown, Haslam, Bjornssson.

SOUTHEND UNITED: Mildenhall; Francis, Baldwin, Barrett, M'Voto, McCormack, Scannell, Moussa, Laurent, Vernon, Paterson. Subs: Malone, Sankofa, Herd, Jack (gk), Spencer, Crawford.

Referee: Jock Waugh (Sheffield)