'˜We're lucky to have him' - Hartlepool United assistant Ged McNamee discusses match-winner Andrew Davies' form

The central defender was the difference for Pools on Saturday as he capped a top class performance at one end with two goals at the other.
And McNamee is delighted Pools have the former Middlesbrough, Bradford City and Ross County man in their XI.

“Andrew is a quality player, we have done well to get him to come and play here. We are lucky to have him, really,” said the former Sunderland academy coach.

“He gets there for set-pieces and we have worked on them. He is dominant in the air and it’s pleasing to get two – he could even have had three.

“He’s a great character around the place, experienced and drove the side on. He wins the ball, encourages others and we worked off him.”

McNamee also had praise for striker Luke James, who put in a man of the match performance.

“Luke has a knack of letting a defender take a tough and then get his boys in and nick the ball off them,” said Matthew Bates’ No 2.

“His workrate and running of the channels today was one of the reasons we got the result. We spoke about hitting the channels down the sides.

“Their manager picked Luke out as a thorn in the side after the game.

“Luke and Niko can play to allow others to get forward in support. There’s nothing worse as a midfielder in getting forward and seeing the ball going back the other way. Niko holds the ball up well, Luke will run the channel and they both work hard without letting defenders settle.

“We have a tough run of games to come – at home it’s important to win and I keep preaching in that we are only in October. It’s March and April when you start to think about what might come. This league is tough, no easy games, tough games to come. They boys are in good spirit, train hard and there’s a good feeling.”