Relegation from the Football League was woeful. Last season was desperate. This season? Same story, with the potential to be worse. Saturday? They were well beaten at home by Telford United in the FA Trophy. Another new chapter of shame.

A week after the manager made a plea for his players to be given some positive backing from the crowd, asking the faithful to ease off with the negativity, the supporters did their part.

The players, however, most certainly did not.

There would have been no excuses, and the manager admitted as much, for the crowd to turn on the players during another home humbling.

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They were, to their credit, patient and relatively tame in their outlook. Skipper Carl Magnay appreciated the honesty from the terraces, admitting he felt they were trying to encourage and support rather than berate and moan.

“We asked for more support and to be patient and they were excellent,’’ reflected Money. “The players have let them down on the pitch.

“I have to do everything in my power to make sure they never see anything like that again.

“They were really good. One or two moans as I came off the pitch, but I wanted to go and give them a big hug – sorry. Please keep that up. We need, and appreciate, their patience.

“We are trying to bring one or two in and trying to do something about it. This is about rebuilding for next season. Get the reset button in place.

“They showed me today that when under pressure and you are given no room on the ball, we couldn’t break free.

“First control is always backwards, which invited the press from the opposition even more. It’s a fundamental change in people’s mindsets and it’s pretty obvious without naming names.

“You could say it’s a lack of confidence. But a lack of spacing, positioning and wanting the ball to create something. It’s been OK the last few games, but not this time. When we played it forward they were on top of us, it went backwards they were even more on top of us.

“When we did get it forward, powderpuff. No quality. We don’t win the first ball, we don’t win the second ball and it gets hooked on, we then don’t win the header cleanly and it builds the pressure.

“OK they kept going and got one back, so in one respect I’m half OK with that – but not really.’’

A team of part-time footballers from a division below were better than Pools. They were stronger, quicker, more organised and fitter. They wanted it more. Their manager admitted after the game he knew how they could get at Pools and force the game.

“Just because they are in the division above it doesn’t automatically make them a better team,’’ mused Gavin Cowan.

To be fair, there’s probably teams from lower divisions than Telford who are better than Pools right now.

Confidence is an issue, with some players lacking self-belief. But there’s more to it than that.

When Telford’s energetic players pressed Pools, they panicked in possession. When the visiting strikers attacked they did it with a purpose and belief.

They did, as Money accepted, show Pools how to play non league football. It’s not necessarily about banging the ball from back to front from big bloke to bigger bloke, although plenty of teams do that and Money is loathe to do so.

It’s more about heart, desire and willingness. Basics.

This was an eye opener for the manager. He has spoke openly about the deficiencies in the make up of the squad in terms of numbers and balance.

Defeat on this occasion showed him what character traits they are severely short of.

Money knows what is needed. Now he has to change it around.

Pools trailed early on when they were caught on the counter attack again – a week after the same happened at home to Maidstone. This time they were left two on one in the area and Amari Morgan Smith netted.

Luke James later rattled the crossbar, it bounced down and out. Telford hit the post and it bounced back into the path of Danile Udoh who reacted while all those around him stood still.

Pools got one back in the last minute of five added on through Myles Anderson. It mattered little.