Adam Boyd - goal

By Charlie Summerbell
August 4 2009

Just under three months ago, the deal that brought Adam Boyd back to Victoria Park heralded a busy close-season of transfer business for the club, and gave fans frustrated by last season’s under-achievement something to look forward to. Yet now, with the new campaign only days away, there’s a danger Boyd won’t start the first game. He has not looked his old self in pre-season games and after being on the bench at Mansfield on Saturday, he started Monday’s reserve team game at Garforth while most first team squad members were given a rest.
But Boyd scored his first pre-season goal in Pools' 4-0 success and Colin West – who revels in the title of assistant coach when there isn’t, as far as we know, a coach – said after the game that Boyd had done a lot better and looked something like his old self.
Whether he looked enough like his old self to get a starting place at MK dons on Saturday remains to be seen, with new lad Denis Behan looking good in pre-season, and James Brown virtual match fit after being nursed back following his knee injury.
Meanwhile, another striker has left the club on a half-season loan, Michael Mackay (left) joining Blue Square Gateshead until the beginning of January, a bit of a surprise move after he was just as surprisingly given a new contract at the end of last season.
There’s good news on Sam Collins, the big defender able to train this week after suffering an ankle injury at Mansfield which prompted manager Chris Turner to fear that he might be out of action next weekend.
Turner is holding talks with triallists Colin Larkin and Steve Haslam, who both played at Mansfield. Right-back Haslam was shown the door by Bury at the end of last season, when Larkin was released by Northampton.
Still no sign of a left-back, though, which means Peter Hartley will probably play at left-back at Milton Keynes with Gary Liddle partnering Collins in the middle of the defence, Neil Austin on the right.
But there are a number of permutations open to Turner and he’s not giving away any clues just yet, though he has said that Richie Jones is well in contention for a place after withdrawing his hasty transfer request.