Hartlepool United head coach Pete Wild says he is encouraged by his first month in charge despite watching his side suffer a stoppage-time defeat at Boreham Wood.

The trip to the National League's runaway leaders produced arguably the game of the season as Pools came from two down at half-time to storm into a 3-2 lead with three goals in the first 14 minutes of the second half.

They were three minutes away from inflicting a first defeat of the season on Boreham Wood, only for Zak Brunt to equalise and then the division's leading scorer, Matt Rush grabbed a 92nd-minute winner.

The result saw Hartlepool drop back into the relegation zone, but after pushing the leaders so hard, it was proof of the effect Wild thinks he is having.

"I'm really encouraged by what I've seen," he told BBC Radio Tees. "They're moving in the right direction, they're harder to play against and they're working hard for the club, which is number one for every Pools fan.

"We've got to keep harnessing that. You've got to lay the foundations before you start seeing the fruits of your labour and we've done that this month."

Hartlepool won two of their five league games in October, but also suffered two cup defeats in a busy month.

They now have a gap until their next league match at home to Wealdstone on 14 November with Wild keen to keep pushing.

"The lads are buying into what we're asking them to do," he said. "I can see that on the training ground and I can see that on the pitch, we just have to keep moving in the right direction.

"Football changes really quickly. You can't come off the gas, you have to keep driving to make sure we're a better version of ourselves next month."