Pete Wild lays down challenge for improving Hartlepool United side after Hornchurch victory
Pete Wild has a challenge for his improving Hartlepool United side.
Pete Wild has laid down the challenge to his improving Hartlepool United side - having proved they can string together wins in the National League.
On Saturday, Pools came from behind to claim a vital three points at Victoria Park in the National League thanks to a Ryan Inniss own goal and a superb Luke Charman strike - all while playing with 10 men following Neo Eccleston’s red card. It meant back-to-back league wins following the 4-2 win at Forest Green Rovers previously.
Reflecting on the 2-1 win over Hornchurch, Wild said: “I think it's a further step along the road. I think there'll be bumps along the way. I think we’ve got a long winter ahead, in terms of getting consistency of message and consistency of performance but I think there's a few things here. Neo’s second yellow is a second yellow, 100%. I think they were right in doing so. But you have a thing as a manager then, you’ve got to go for it. I've been telling them all week about being brave and going for it. So then if I'm not brave on the side - I think the staff played a big part in that as well - if we're not brave as staff, we're portraying a counter-message to what we're trying to get the players to do.
“Be brave, certainly be brave here. So it was like, ‘Right, let's have a go. We've got nothing to lose. Let's go and try and at least get a point out of the football match’. So I was so pleased at their attitude towards that, and I've just said to them in there - we changed to a four [at the back], we've gone 4-3-2, try and be brave - but it's alright us changing the formation, they've then got to go and implement that formation, and I think they did that so well in terms of where they needed to go. It's an all-round team performance - a team, staff, supporter performance.
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“This place was bouncing at the end and that excites me. I know they [the players] can do it now, and everybody knows they can do it now. I think it's a real big moment for the season, this, and for everybody connected with the footy club. We've now seen them do it, so now we've got to get them to do it week in, week out, and that's the next part of the jigsaw,” said Wild prior to the Tuesday night trip to AFC Fylde.
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