Hartlepool manager Neale Cooper spoke to BBC Radio Tees and his club's official website after his side's 4-0 League One victory over Carlisle at Victoria Park, Cooper saying he was very proud of the performance from his players :
"It was very pleasing and I am very proud of the overall performance, we knew it would be a very difficult game, Carlisle have been flying this season up there near the top end of the league and I can't ask for more. There was a full house here today and a wonderful, wonderful performance from the players. It has been a really good week, they have worked really hard and it has been good spirits this week I thought coming in here on the back of two good points away from home.
"I thought we started the game really positively and really put a high tempo and a high pressure match on them, and we knew that they would come at us in the first 20 minutes as I have watched them on DVDs, but we tried not to let them do that. I thought we played some really good stuff, really good support play from the middle of the park with Gary Liddle and Antony Sweeney, and all over with (Andy) Monkhouse and James Brown.
"They made some really positive runs in behind Carlisle today and up until the sending-off of Lee Miller I thought it was the best stuff we have played since I have come back. It was a big game today for us and they brought a good crowd with them so it was a good atmosphere. They are a good team who like to play football but we are all in it together here and I saw that today.
"The sending-off looked harsh, I thought that they both (Miller and Monkhouse) just went for the same ball and they both collided, and if anything possibly I thought Andy was going to maybe get booked. But, he (Miller) did catch him on the ankle, I mean there is a mark, but Lee Miller is not like that, he is not that type of person. So, unfortunate for Lee and Carlisle, but saying that, when they went down to ten men we sort of stopped playing like we had been, which often happens."
"The only time they were a threat really was when we gave them the ball, we were slack at times with stupid little passes. We started slackly second-half even though we spoke so much about that at half-time, and then the latter stages of the game back on again with a lot of top quality stuff, and another fantastic performance from young Luke (James).
"I am not just talking about his goals, I am taking about the fact that he takes knocks, today his touch was better at times when the ball was played up to him. He is not scared of anything and to have that courage for a young lad is very, very good. He is a strong lad, he just bounces back up and his two goals, especially his second goal were fantastic. Even his first one, he has got in that position and he has hit it and I have said to the boys there have not been enough shots.
"But, I can't thank all the players for their effort enough today because that was a lot of good stuff, really good stuff, and everyone did the massive work-rate they were asked to do. We have just got to push on and build from that. It is a squad thing and I keep saying that, you might need somebody, that's why I don't like people who go off in a huff if they are not playing. It is natural if you do, I have been there myself, but you just have to fight your way back into the team.
"I have said to them this week, I have been looking at strikers, you read it in the papers, or wide players, but if these boys keep performing like that then it makes my job difficult to bring in the right ones. But, everyone has done their bit today, Jack Baldwin comes on for the last five minutes and he has a job to do, Colin Nish comes on who has had a hard time with injury plus maybe you know performance with the fans and that."
"But, the fans welcomed him back today and he gave them a goal. He knows what he has to do, he has to work maybe a bit harder in his game, which naturally at times he does look a bit lazy, that is just the way he looks. I said to him today before he went on to just show the fans that you can work hard and it is half the battle with the people here because if there is one thing the Hartlepool people like it is hardworking boys.
"Evan Horwood got a really bad knock on the knee, he is on crutches, I thought it was his ankle again because he hasn't trained all week with his ankle problem that he got last Saturday. But, he made himself fit, credit to him yesterday and hopefully he will only be out a few days once he has iced it, but it is more a knock than hopefully any ligament damage.
"We are away to Bury next week and another difficult game, but if we are seriously trying to consider getting into the play-offs then we have to try going on a winning run, and we have to just take the positives today, not get complacent and try to take it into next week. I am so proud of them, honest, I am so proud, if they give me that effort like they have done the last two or three games then I can't ask for any more.
"We might win games, we might lose games, but that is all I ask for, what they gave me today and they have the last few weeks, and if they give me that week in and week out then I am a happy man. But, I was really, really pleased with the way that we played today, to put four past Carlisle was a really pleasing factor for ourselves and everyone."