Hartlepool United boss Kevin Phillips planning on sticking with the same back four ahead of trip to free-scoring Eastleigh

That means that Alex Lacey is in line for a second successive game at right-back after the 30-year-old made his first start since in October in the unfamiliar role against Southend.

Lacey is one of four options available to Phillips in the position, with Kwaku Oduroh and Louis Stephenson both natural right-backs but lacking in experience while the versatile Terrell Agyemang has made second half cameos there in the last two matches.

Phillips was impressed with the former Notts County man's display on Saturday and is planning on lining up with the same defensive quartet that helped his side to a first home league clean sheet in 14 months.

"I think he showed that he can play in that position," he said.

"Ideally, he'd prefer to play centre-half but we just felt that on Saturday we needed a clean sheet.

"That's not saying that someone else couldn't have come in and done a job, but I just felt we needed to go with that experience and know-how.

"And it worked - we looked solid.

"Alex is a very defensive minded person, he's not one of those who will overlap.

"He does his job and it's good to have competition in that area, with all these games coming up we might have to rotate in there.

"But at the minute, that's the back four I'm thinking about, unless I decide to change my mind. And it looks a good, solid back four."