IT was Chris Turner who insisted, as his Hartlepool United side developed a habit of throwing away two-goal leads, 2-0 was the scoreline no manager enjoyed.

Pools lost 3-2 at Southend in December 2009 after being two-up, he moaned: “Leading two goals to nil is a nightmare scoreline in football. I won games at two-down as a player and manager, I've lost games at two-up. Everyone has watched, coached, managed and played in games like that.’’

Ten years and 13 managers later, Pools have recently endured pain and joy from a 2-0 scoreline.

At Notts County three weeks ago, Pools were 2-0 up and drew. At Ebbsfleet last week, Pools were 2-0 up and drew.

Against Boreham Wood on Saturday, Pools were 2-0 down and drew.

While they should have had two away wins on the other occasions and ended up with a draw, they were disappointed.

This time, they enjoyed the other side of it. Two goals behind and looking well beat, they conjured up a positive comeback.

Boss Dave Challinor, after his first game at Victoria Park, said: “We spoke in the lead up to the game about moments, how moments can get back into a game and the goal gave us impetus and the atmosphere changed, from then on we merited a point.’’

That key moment came from a somewhat unlikely source. Pools pressed, the ball wasn’t cleared with any conviction, Ryan Donaldson pushed it onto Nicky Featherstone.

The midfielder, a holding one by nature, took a touch got the ball onto his left foot and cracked in from 25 yards.

The uneasiest score in football had changed. Featherstone has only netted eight goals for Pools in 210 games and they have yet to lose.

Right-footed by nature, he admitted: “You don’t have to think about it as much with your wrong foot, it’s just about getting a clean strike away.”

It gave Pools some much-needed life. The arrivals of Gime Toure and Aaron Cunningham helped change their outlook. It was quite a call for Challinor to take off two of his on-pitch leaders in Michael Raynes and Gus Mafuta.

But Pools needed energy and a spark from somewhere. Toure can always provide it and he got the leveller after Mark Kitching was tripped in the box.

That Pools needed a comeback was down to a poor first hour.

They looked disjointed after adapting to a three-man back line, matching up the opposition. The Wood were the dominant side, taking the lead from the penalty spot after a Raynes foul in the area.

Pools thought they had levelled when Nicke Kabamaba’s close-range finish was stopped by keeper Nathan Ashmore. The ball hit his thigh, bounced up in the area and he pushed it out. There’s no technology in this division to determine if a ball crosses the line.

Photographic evidence showed it probably did go in before being bundled out, but neither referee or assistant could rule definitively.

The manager said: “Was it in? I’m not sure how we haven’t scored. How had the keeper still got his teeth? The ball had to end up it in the net. It’s being clinical and having the confidence to smash it in, we should be level and back in it.’’

When The Wood scored their second, a crisp finish from Kabongo Tshimanga, it looked game over for Pools.

Challinor said: “It’s a point gained after 60 minutes. It doesn’t go how we want it – we started, and they started well, poorly in terms of intensity and the midfield three didn’t get near their midfield three.

“We grew into it, had chances and should have scored. Then we spoke at half-time about the first ten minutes and getting back into it. It went the other way, they score and we are up against it.’’

After showing character to come back and earn a point and make it one defeat in eight games, Challinor hopes to see his players become mentally tougher and show that determination National League teams seem to possess.

“You have accept the environment we are in and fans want us to get forward, but we have to be patient and be positive. Look to produce, and this is a result of people being safe and scared to make a mistake,’’ he said.

“Make a mistake and it’s natural the crowd get disappointed, players don’t like it and then next time they pass responsibility.

“We have to be better than that and not be afraid to make mistakes.

“Back your ability and have more confidence in what you are doing. Whip it in with pace and it goes wrong and it ends up in the crowd, everyone is disappointed. But be big enough to go again and try again.

“To be a top team we have to be braver and turn it around. Mentally you need to be brave enough to make mistakes.’’