'Absolutely delighted' striker Courtney Duffus joins Hartlepool United on loan from Barrow

The 6ft 2in tall Barrow forward joins caretaker boss Lennie Lawrence’s side until the end of the season and will wear the number 36 shirt.

Duffus is expected to line up in Tuesday night’s National League match at AFC Fylde alongside fellow new signing Tom Parkes.

Centre-half Parkes became Lawrence’s first signing since taking temporary control after joining on a permanent deal from Scottish Premiership outfit Livingston.

Pools have recently suffered staffing issues at both ends of the pitch.

The arrival of Parkes at the back follows the departures of four defenders signed on loan by former manager John Askey.

Up front, meanwhile, both top scorer Emmanuel Dieseruvwe and fellow striker Josh Umerah have still to return after suffering injuries over the Christmas period.

Pools were forced to play talented midfielder Anthony Mancini in attack alongside Joe Grey during Saturday’s welcome 2-1 victory over Oxford City.

While the experiment largely worked, the presence of Duffus offers Pools a more traditional focal point.

Born in Cheltenham, the 28-year-old striker joins after permanent spells at Everton, Oldham Athletic, Yeovil Town, Bromley, Morecambe and Barrow.

His most prolific season was the curtailed 2019-20 coronavirus campaign in which he scored 13 National League goals for Yeovil.

Duffus told the Pools website: "I'm absolutely delighted and I can't wait to get going. I've heard good things about playing here and Hartlepool is a big club so it was a no-brainer.

"I want to play as many games as I can and score goals to help the team."

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