Head coach Pete Wild has issued a rousing rallying call to his Hartlepool United players.

Pete Wild has issued a rousing rallying call to his Hartlepool United players ahead of the daunting trip to league pace setters Boreham Wood this weekend.

National League leaders Boreham Wood are 10 points clear after an unbeaten start 15 games in - with 13 wins to their name already. Pools, meanwhile, are struggling at the wrong end of the table and head into the game on the back of Tuesday night’s 3-1 defeat to AFC Fylde. That defeat left Pools 20th, with 10 defeats to their name after 15 games played.

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The Pools head coach, however, is trying to see the trip to Boreham Wood as an opportunity to be welcomed for his players - given the incredible confidence boost it would give, should they come away with a positive result.

Wild, speaking at his pre-match press conference at Maiden Castle, told BBC Tees Sport: “It's a great game, isn't it? It's brilliant. I want to play against the best teams. I want to go toe-to-toe against the best teams. I want our team to go out and not fear them. I want them to go there and go, ‘Right, you've been on a great run of form, but we're going to be the ones that stop you. We're going to go toe-to-toe with you. We're going to make sure that we give everything we've got’ - which I think we're starting to do and I think we've got to go there and relish it.”

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Wild added: “Right, you're the best team in the league, but we want to come away from there and everybody be lauding us that we've gone toe-to-toe with the best team in the league. So what a great game for us and what a great opportunity to go and test ourselves. I think there's pressure in every football match because we want to pick up points.

“It's got to be, ‘Right, well, this is another test against a good team and just go out there and give your best, lads, and let's see where we're up to’.”

After this weekend, Pools then have a spare weekend after they were dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round by Marine.

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