Pete Wild delivers 'harsh reality' verdict after Hartlepool United's FA Cup defeat against Marine

Pete Wild delivered a brutal assessment of Hartlepool United after his side fell to a 2-0 defeat in their FA Cup fourth qualifying round home tie with National League North club Marine.

Pools went into the game looking to reach the first round proper for the first time since 2022 when they entered at that stage of the competition due to their League Two status. However, since being relegated into the National League at the end of the same season, defeats against Chester, Brackley Town and Gainsborough Trinity have ended their FA Cup run in the final qualifying round. Marine added their name to the list of Pools conquerers when second-half goals from Jack Doyle and James Potter helped the visitors earn a shock win at Victoria Park and secure a place in Monday’s first round draw.

For Wild, there is now a need to focus on a crucial home game against National League rivals Hornchurch as his side look to create some breathing space in the battle to avoid relegation. However, the former Barrow and FC Halifax Town head coach has called for everyone to connected with the club to be ‘a little bit more realistic’ as he gave a grim assessment of their current plight.

Speaking after the game, the Pools boss said: “You plug one gap, you have to plaster over one thing and something else rears its head. That’s the tough bit at the moment. You’ve got to find a way. I’m trying to portray a realistic version of what’s going on at the football club and that’s not the fault of the owner or anything like that.

“Everybody has to be a little bit more realistic now and as much as everybody wants to be at the top end of the table, we are not. I don’t think what we have got in the building gets us anywhere near the top end of the table - but it’s our problem now it’s me at the helm and we have to sort it. The only way we are going to get out of it is by rolling your sleeves up and digging in to solve the problem."

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‘Harsh reality’

The season started with talk of a push for a return to the EFL - but Wild has insisted the ‘harsh reality’ is his side most focus on staying in the National League as he reassessed his initial timeframe for a turnaround in fortunes.

He said: “I said six to eight weeks, I probably meant six to eight months with what I’ve seen. You’ve got two games at home this week, we should be going out and trying to get results. We’ve not won both so all these comments about being right up there this year, we are going to be this, that or the other, the harsh reality is there’s no chance at the moment unless something changes. Staying in the league is the first thing that we need to do. That’s the reality of the situation. I’m not going to start mugging fans off, I can see if with my eyes and they can see it.”

Your next Hartlepool United read: Hartlepool United dumped out of the FA Cup by National League North club Marine