Heed ‘relentless’ in push for promotion
ROB Elliot has admitted he is going to become an unpopular figure as Gateshead navigate a hectic final ten days in their push for a National League play-off place.
The postponement of Tuesday’s home game against top seven rivals Aldershot Town means Elliot’s men face a run of five games in nine days.
That all started with Thursday nigh’s visit to AFC Fylde after the Mill Farm surface passed a precautionary pitch inspection. It continues with another away day as Elliot and his players make the long trip to Maidenhead United today.
The final week of the season is likely to see the home clash with Aldershot rearranged for Thursday night and that will be sandwiched by International Stadium meetings with champions Chesterfield and fellow play-off contenders Bromley.
The schedule means Elliot will look to utilise his entire squad as his side aim to push on in their bid to secure a top seven place.
“There were a lot of players who weren’t on the pitch (in the FA Trophy semi-final win against Macclesfield) that were pivotal in us getting there (to Wembley),” said the former Newcastle United goalkeeper.
“But everyone connected to this club can be proud of what we are achieving at the moment and we need to make sure we stay on track to carry it on because we are in such a great position.”
He added: “The difficult thing now is picking a team for games because it’s at the stage where I am dreading it. Everyone is going to hate me but we have so many games in such a short space of time.
“It’s non-stop, it’s absolutely relentless but that’s not a bad thing for us. We have to be relentless, we have to be ready for the challenges and make sure we are fully prepared for climbing massive hurdles.”