Former United midfielder Paul Murray spoke to the Hartlepool Mail ahead of his side's League One clash against Carlisle at Brunton Park tomorrow afternoon, Murray looking forward to coming home :
“I absolutely loved it at Carlisle. Playing for your hometown team was brilliant. I love going back and playing there and I’ve still got a great rapport with the fans. But I’m not bothered about that tomorrow – I want the three points and I’m excited for the game. To be fair we’ve had poor results against them since I’ve been here. We’ve got to try and turn that around on Saturday because we’re on a bit of a roll at the minute.
“We’ll be going there trying to win and it’ll be a new record if we avoid defeat, which would be brilliant. They’ve lost their last three so they’ll be desperate to stop the rot. But we’ll be going for three points and the worst case scenario for us is coming away with a draw. Especially with the form we’re in and the goals we’re scoring we should be confident.”
Meanwhile ex-Sunderland midfielder and current 'Pools midfielder Nathan Luscombe commented to the Northern Echo :
"Liam Noble is one of my good friends and he got sent off in the game last season - he's a bit of a loose cannon as well. He's a really good lad though and I think he'll have a big future in the game. I've never played in a derby at this level so just to be involved would be a real privilege. It's a big game because we're both on the same points.
"People might say it's just another game, but really you feel like you want to get one over on your rivals. That would put a marker down to say who's the best team in the area. It would be great to get a result and I think we could get the three points based on our recent performances."
In team news for the visitors they will be missing just one player through injury, that being former Carlisle left-back Evan Horwood who is absent with a thigh strain. Hartlepool though are also without a few players due to match fitness, winger James Brown, striker Colin Larkin and centre-half Jordon Mellish all currently working their way back into the 'Pools squad as they return from various ailments, centre back and skipper Sam Collins having completed that comeback though following a recent hamstring injury.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Anthony Taylor from Wythenshawe near Manchester and he will be assisted down the lines by Mick McDonough from the Tyne and Wear area and Steve Rushton from Stoke-on-Trent. Meanwhile the fourth official is Alan Wilkie, who in his younger days was the referee who sent off Eric Cantona at Selhurst Park.