I’m so proud of my team - Elliot

week because the lads are giving us everything.

“The new lads have come in, there’s no whining, they just get on with it and give everything on and off the pitch. We had three new debutants and they impacted on the game for us and that’s all we can ask of our players.

“I think it’s been underplayed just how tough the last three or four weeks have been. We’ve had to try and get players in with little budget. We’ve had to replace four or five players with probably the average budget of another player in the

National League.

“But that’s the strength of ours, we don’t look at the budget and see it as a block, we see it as a hurdle to get over and also find talent and options in players that have the potential to kick on for us.”

There was an off-field appointment at Gateshead this weekend after Luke Clark was named as the club’s new head of recruitment.

The former Spennymoor Town and Boston United man has taken up his new role with immediate effect and explained his determination to help the Heed build on what has been an impressive period of recruitment over the last two years.

“I’m here to support what the club has already done and the solid foundations in place,” he told the club website.

“There’s a clear identity with regards to the team’s playing style, and my role is to support the recruitment process – which has been really effective in the last few years – to ensure we have the right personnel to build on that.

“Gateshead are renowned now in the National League for the way the club plays, and bringing players into the structure makes it attractive to not only the players, but also the parent club if a loan deal is being discussed.”

Gateshead are awaiting news on the fitness of vice-captain Ed Francis ahead of the visit to Roots Hall after he made a return to training in recent weeks.

Recent signing Eddie Beach