Lee Clark has called on his Hartlepool United team to carry the courage and determination shown against Eastleigh into Tuesday night’s Enterprise National League fixture at FC Halifax Town.

Pools suffered an agonising 1-0 defeat at Victoria Park after playing virtually the entire second half with ten men following Neo Eccleston’s dismissal.

Clark’s side remained positive despite their numerical disadvantage and continued to pursue a winning goal, only for Eastleigh substitute Nelson Khumbeni to strike deep into added time.

The Pools Head Coach was devastated by the outcome but immensely proud of what his players produced in difficult circumstances.

“That second half was inspirational,” said Clark.

“For a positive result to be taken away from us in the manner it was is heartbreaking for the players because they gave absolutely everything.

“We were a man down but continued to create chances. We stayed brave, kept two players up the pitch and tried to win the game.

“Every single one of them was outstanding in that second half.”

Pools had responded positively to Clark’s demand for an improved performance following the previous weekend’s defeat at Sutton United.

Corey McKeown’s early delivery narrowly evaded Will Harris before Brooklyn Ilunga fired over from distance during a fast-paced opening.

Chris Popov and Harris also had opportunities to break the deadlock, while Ilunga cleared Aaron Blair’s effort off the line after the Eastleigh forward had rounded Max Merrick.

Clark felt Pools lost some of their attacking conviction as the first half progressed but was encouraged by the way his players responded after the interval.

“I thought we started the game well,” he continued.

“Midway through the first half, we seemed to lose a little bit of belief. Instead of being positive, passing forward and running forward, we began turning back rather than driving into the spaces.

“But the pride and admiration I have for the players comes from what they gave us in the second half.”

Eccleston received his second yellow card within a minute of the restart after appearing to slip as he challenged Josh Lundstram.

Rather than retreat, Pools continued to commit players forward and came close to taking the lead through substitute Jack Nolan.

The summer signing cut inside from the right before seeing his deflected effort loop narrowly beyond the far post.

“I can’t fault the players at all,” Clark explained.

“Football can be a cruel game and that was the cruellest of outcomes for what they gave us.

“To come off the pitch with nothing to show for an unbelievable effort is galling for them. It is tough to take and still very raw, but I can’t be anything other than proud.

“When supporters talk about players fighting for the badge, that is exactly what they did.”

Friday’s result was Pools’ second narrow defeat in succession after their 2-1 loss at Sutton.

Clark’s side have collected six points from their opening four league fixtures, having started the campaign with successive victories and clean sheets against Barrow and Aldershot Town.

The Head Coach is determined to ensure the disappointment against Eastleigh does not damage the confidence established during the opening weeks of the season.

“We can’t allow it to knock our confidence,” he insisted.

“It hurts because the players put so much into the game, but we have to recover, lick our wounds and move forward.

“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have another difficult game on Tuesday and we have to focus on getting back to winning football matches. 

“If we can show that same intensity and bravery with 11 players on the pitch, we’ll get back to winning ways sooner rather than later.”

Halifax have taken three points from their opening four fixtures.

John McGrath’s side responded to defeats against Forest Green Rovers and Boreham Wood with a 4-1 home victory over Tamworth before losing 2-1 at Altrincham on Friday night.

Clark expects another demanding contest and will assess his players before deciding whether to make changes at The Shay.

Tuesday’s fixture falls within a run of three games in eight days for Pools, with the Head Coach conscious of the physical effort required to compete with ten men for almost half of Friday’s match.

“We have a big squad, and players will get opportunities because we may need to freshen things up,” he said.

“Some of the lads completed the full game after we went down to ten men and covered an incredible amount of ground.

“We have an extra day to recover, so we’ll see how everybody is over the next couple of days and decide whether we need to bring some freshness into the team.

“We know Halifax are a very good side and we’re expecting another tough match.”

Clark also paid tribute to the Pools faithful for remaining behind the players throughout Friday night’s contest.

The home support continued to encourage the team after Eccleston’s dismissal and showed its appreciation for the performance at the final whistle despite the painful conclusion.

“The support was unbelievable,” Clark added.

“They stayed with the team throughout the game and, even with the disappointment at the end, they applauded the players off the pitch.

“We want to give them a team they can be proud of and a team they deserve.

“We’ll work towards that every minute of every day.”