Pools alert to Kettering threat

Turner's side are currently 11th in League One

Hartlepool United director of sport Chris Turner insists his players will treat Saturday's FA Cup opponents Kettering Town with respect.

Kettering are in the Blue Square Premier promotion pack this season and Turner believes their achievements will focus his side's attentions.

He told BBC Tees: "They're third in the league, there should be no complacency.

"When you play teams who are struggling it can put that seed in players' heads that this is going to be an easy game."

The Poppies are managed by former Pools player Mark Cooper and have enjoyed a resurgence since the former Tamworth boss took over in January 2007.

If they were in League Two they'd be more than competing in it Pools boss Chris Turner

Having won the Blue Square North division by seventeen points in 2007-08, the Northamptonshire side have settled well into life in the non-league's top flight and showed their cup pedigree with progress to last season's FA Cup fourth round stage.

Turner said: "Kettering are an excellent club, they've got sound investment and if they were in League Two they'd be more than competing in it.

"They've probably got better financial stability than the majority of the League Two and some League One clubs, as we read this week, so it will be a very tough cup-tie."

Both clubs were knocked out in last season's fourth round - Pools were eliminated by Premier League West Ham in a 2-0 defeat at Victoria Park, while Fulham, accounted for Kettering, beating them 4-2 at Rockingham Road.