SUPERSUB Andy Payton put himself in line for a starting place in the Wolves' den on Saturday after firing Burnley onto the brink of the second round of the Worthington Cup.

Payton came off the bench at half-time with the below-par Clarets trailing 1-0 to Third Division Hartlepool last night.

But a 26-minute hat-trick from the striker, plus a Steve Davis cracker, should now make the second leg in the North-East in a fortnight's time a formality.

Clutching the match-ball afterwards, Payton said: "I was delighted just to be playing after missing a few games and to get a hat-trick is unbelievable. It's a great start for me.

"I thought in the second half we could have probably scored 10.

"The keeper made a great save from Steve, who had another one cleared off the line, and I missed a chance so really we dominated the second half.

"We couldn't have played much worse in the first half."

"It was a bit dead for the lads with the atmosphere but in the second half we turned them over."

A fractured toe had kept Payton out of the firing line until a late substitute's appearance against Wimbledon on Saturday but it didn't take him long to get back in the groove, starting with a 64th-minute penalty that sparked the Clarets' excellent fightback. He said: "I was thinking '1-0 down, one of those sort of nights and just about my first touch' but luckily it went in.

"The main thing apart from scoring was getting a bit of fitness. That only comes from playing matches and I've hardly played any at all.

"I was shattered on Saturday and I was only on 10 minutes so that will stand me in good stead and it's more competition. We all know it's a squad game this season.

"It's all about the team but obviously I'm delighted to get the hat-trick."

And having got 45 minutes under his belt Payton now looks a certain starter at Wolves on Saturday as Burnley return to First Division duty.

He added: "I had only played 10 minutes and the lads were unbeaten so I didn't expect to play last night.

"The gaffer rightly kept the two lads up front who had been doing really well.

"We don't what the side is yet for Saturday but we will be going there hoping to keep our unbeaten run going."

The introduction of Payton, Graham Branch and John Mullin swung the tie emphatically Burnley's way and virtually assured their place in round two for the first time in three years.

Manager Stan Ternent said: "We've won and we've won well in the end and credit to the players for turning it round.

"I would have taken that before the start and we look forward to the second leg up at the Victoria Ground.

"It's only half-time at the moment but we got a start and we've got to go up there and finish the job off."