Graeme Lee is hoping for home comforts as Hartlepool United look to build their momentum ahead of Tranmere Rovers clash

Graeme Lee’s side welcome high-flying Tranmere Rovers Tuesday evening looking for a third successive win in the league for the first time since April last year.

Pools follow it up with another challenging fixture against last season’s National League winners Sutton United who have enjoyed a memorable debut season in the Football League as they, too, search for an automatic promotion spot.

Lee’s side have made the long distance trips to Bristol Rovers, Exeter City, Crystal Palace and Crawley Town in the last month but the Pools boss knows, irrespective of whether they are at home or away, they need to build on their recent results.

“It’ll be nice [to be back on home soil]. We have to build on it,” said Lee.

“But let’s see what we’ve got on Tuesday night now because we need the performance against a top team in the league.

“We know what it’s going to be like on Tuesday night, the Suit Direct is going to be bouncing and we’ve got to make sure they’re bouncing right the way through those 90 minutes.”

Lee added to The Mail: “It’s been great. The occasion of Crystal Palace but then backing it up with two wins is fantastic.

“We need to keep that positivity going. We’ve got Tranmere. It's tough but let's go and try to get another three points.”

Pools will be able to welcome back captain Nicky Featherstone after the 33-year-old completed his three game suspension for a red card picked up in the goalless draw with Exeter City.

Gary Liddle came off the bench in the closing stages of Saturday’s win at the People’s Pension Stadium while the likes of Gavan Holohan, Mark Shelton and new signing Isaac Fletcher are all pushing for a starting spot in the Pools midfield.

Meanwhile Marcus Carver could be in contention after being put through his paces in training in recent weeks to recover from a groin strain with Lee admitting he has options available to him when he looks at his substitutes bench.

“It’s another difficult game. I keep saying every team we come up against have got their own challenges but you’re up against a team who are consistently winning games and are up at the top end of the table,” Lee told The Mail.

“They've just signed a player from Burton, Kane Hemmings, who’s a tough, strong and powerful player who will cause us problems but let’s look at us and what we can offer.

“We’ve got Nicky Featherstone to come back into the team and we’ve got other bodies who are itching to try and get into the team.

“We’ve got a squad now who I feel are strong enough to be up the top end of the table.

“We’ve got Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday again next week, that could be the tell tale as to where we want to be and where we want to end up.”

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