If only it was as good off field as Heed are on it
GATESHEAD have gone into siege mentality mode – and it’s serving them well as they racked up a 10th away win.
More shenanigans behind the scenes this week saw defender Fraser Kerr unexpectedly sold, despite the Heed pushing for promotion.
It also left them with a squad of just 16 players, yet they increased Aldershot Town’s relegation worries with a 2-0 win at The Rec.
Manager Ben Clark hadn’t been part of a five-strong Gateshead delegation that met with National League officials on Friday.
But he clearly had a vested interested as he awaited news on whether a long-standing transfer embargo would be lifted.
It wasn’t and it was a threadbare, but impressively resilient, squad that made the seven-hour 300-mile trip to Aldershot at 6am on Saturday.
Poor preparation for an away game yet again but no matter how many setbacks come their way, Gateshead’s young guns produce.
First goals for the club from Connor Thomson and his replacement Cameron Salkeld stretched struggling Aldershot’s winless run at home to 10 games.
The second-half strikes saw another double chalked up for a troubled Gateshead, who are now sixth ahead of Saturday’s visit of Barnet.
Concerned Heed fans, worried about the club’s future, are to hold talks with national outfit Supporters Direct this week.
The fans’ meeting will take place at Pelaw Social Club on Thursday, the same day the National League Board convenes.
Gateshead, in the words of owner Dr Ranjan Varghese, need to “give them (the league) confidence in the financial stability of the club”.
If they fail to do that, Clark will have to plough on with just 16 players, two of those goalkeepers, with injuries inevitable at some stage.
Clark, yet to taste defeat in his seven games in charge, has continued the excellent work of his predecessor Steve Watson.
He, and his players, are rolling with the punches and they won’t throw in the towel as they continue to defy the odds.
Ahead of a tough run-in, Clark said: “You’ve got to be ambitious and dare to dream and I can’t praise the players enough.
“Every week they get better and better. Their attitude is first class and they are a dream to work with – we’ll keep going.”
Gateshead’s against-all-odds play-off flame is still burning with 10 games remaining – a magnificent effort given all the off-field problems.