We must Heed lessons from defeat, says Elliot

GATESHEAD interim manager Rob Elliot wants his side to learn from their midweek defeat at Woking as they prepare for another long trip to Boreham Wood this weekend.

The Heed fell behind to a Lewis Walker goal inside the opening three minutes at the Laithwaite Community Stadium but bounced back with first-half strikes from inform striker Marcus Dinanga and influential midfielder Callum Whelan.

However, it was the hosts that took the points with a penalty from Charley Kendall and a late Ricky Korboa strike to ensure Elliot’s side fell to their first defeat in any competition since a 1-0 defeat at Dorking Wanderers in January.

Despite their midweek loss, Gateshead will travel to Boreham Wood still sat in the play-off places and just six points adrift of Bromley and Barnet, who currently occupy second and third place in nonleague’s top tier.

Elliot admitted his side had falling short of their usual standards in the defeat at Woking - but insisted he will not allow his players to get too down about the loss as they prepare for yet another long trip down south.

He told the club website: “We just have to move on, that’s football, we want to win every game but it doesn’t always work out like that.

“We will learn and we make sure we get a little bit better for Saturday. That’s the main thing. We always talk about the development and the performances first so there were things we were disappointed with the performance, there were things we liked about the performance.

“But overall, we know we can be better and when you’re asking the lads, with the games they’re playing, with the same 14,15 or 16 lads we’ve had for the last six or seven games, the input and output they give, I can really criticise too much and I don’t think anyone should.

“It’s just one of those ones when Woking were incredible in their endeavour, their work-rate and energy, they worked so hard and for them, fighting for their lives down the bottom, it’s going to be tough.

“We are going to have to find ways to nullify that when we go on and play teams in that situation but we just have to look at the last seven or eight games, or the last few months, there’s no point looking at this and taking too much negativity from it.

He concluded: “We accept it, we hold our hands up, give the lads loads of rest, with lads coming back to freshen up the squad and we move forwards.”

Midfielder Regan Booty could be handed a start after marking his comeback from injury with a substitute appearance against Woking.