Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll calls for more consistency as he continues to search for best XI

The under pressure boss has changed shape and personnel with increasing regularity in recent weeks as Pools have grappled for a solution to their run of bad results.

Sarll stuck with the same 4-4-2 diamond formation that produced a much-improved showing at Forest Green ahead of Saturday's game with Sutton but switched things up 25 minutes into the contest after his side found themselves 2-0 down.

Pools seemed much better suited to the more familiar 4-2-3-1 and the change in formation allowed Sarll to get Mani Dieseruvwe, Joe Grey, Luke Charman and Anthony Mancini into the same side.

Sarll has tried three at the back, two up front, three in midfield and a number of other combinations in an attempt to arrest the recent slump but supporters will be hoping to see more of the side that came out for the second half on Saturday and scored four goals as Pools engineered a remarkable turnaround to win at home for the first time all season.

Injuries and suspensions have, to an extent, forced the manager's hand but it's hard to escape the feeling that Sarll has been grappling for a solution - often without much luck - of late.

Next weekend's FA Cup clash with National League North side Brackley might give Sarll further freedom to experiment but Pools fans are unlikely to be satisfied unless the boss fields a more attacking XI than the one that started against Sutton.

While the boss might not know his best XI just yet, he's hoping Saturday's impressive second half showing will be a step in the right direction as he looks to help his side become more consistent in their performances.

"If you think about the standard of football from the Premier League to the National League, the Premier League players are probably 8 out of 10 or more in eight out of 10 games," he said.

"That's why those players are at the very, very top level.

"You whittle that down, maybe, two games every division, so if our players are at their best every three out of five games, we'll feel like we've had a really successful campaign.

"What we've got to do is try and get that consistency level to where we need it to be, to around that three in five.

"We've never been in a position so far this season where we've been in credit, where - not that we ever would - we can allow ourselves one bad performance.

"That's so important, getting to that point where the consistency level of the players builds and builds.

"We're nowhere near that yet, we're weeks, maybe even months, from that point.

"You've got to start somewhere and I thought today (Saturday) was a good place to start."