NORTHERN Ireland hero Phil Gray will swap the World Cup stage for Hartlepool United's Victoria Park tomorrow night with the same target in mind -- scoring goals.

The Burnley striker came off the bench on Saturday to give his country the perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign by grabbing the winner against Malta.

And he is hoping to stay in the groove on his return to domestic duty, starting in the Worthington Cup at Hartlepool where the Clarets will take their 4-1 first-leg lead.

"It was an important game and it was excellent to get the goal.

"I hope I can keep it going," said Gray, who ended a five-year wait for an international goal and became the first Burnley player to score at that level since Brian Flynn and Billy Hamilton scored for their respective countries in 1983.

He added: "It's great to be back on the international stage again and it's always nice to score a goal at Windsor Park. I was glad to get such good service and to put one away. Hopefully that goal will give Sammy McIlroy some food for thought and perhaps persuade him to give me a starting place against Denmark in the next game.

"I was disappointed not to start the match and when I was given my chance I wanted to justify myself. I feel I did that with my goal. But at the end of the day if the team is winning, whatever he does is all right by me." Gray has re-established himself as a key part of Northern Ireland's plans having fallen out of favour towards the end of Bryan Hamilton's reign as manager in 1997 and then managing just 13 minutes as a substitute against Moldova in November 1998 under Lawrie McMenemy.

And new boss Sammy McIlroy was delighted with Burnley's summer signing.

"Phil has scored goals wherever he has been and as we all know Northern Ireland is starved of goal-scorers.

"I've seen him do it for his club and he has done it for me and I'm delighted. He took his chance well and he will always score goals in situations like that," he said.

Back at Turf Moor, Burnley boss Stan Ternent was equally pleased to see Gray's name on the team-sheet and for him to return to the fold today without injury. "It was great for him to get the winner. It certainly can't do him any harm," said Ternent.

Gray probably hasn't been at his best yet on a consistent basis for Burnley.

But showed at Bolton on the opening day of the season and at Windsor Park on Saturday that he knows where the net is when given the chance inside the penalty area.

The former Luton front man will be hoping for more of those kind of opportunities to underline his goalscoring pedigree and he looks certain to be involved at Hartlepool with Burnley not planning major changes, despite their commanding lead.