Armstrong frustrated as Gateshead fall to Solihull Moors loss

A visibly annoyed Alun Armstrong admitted he understood the frustration of Gateshead supporters after their side fell to a 2-0 defeat against Solihull Moors and failed to bring an end to their long wait for a win at the International Stadium.

The Heed went into the game without a win on their home patch since Will Flint scored twice in a victory against Tamworth in August - and that wait was extended as second-half goals from Moors substitutes Brad Stevenson and Jacob Wakeling handed the visitors a deserved three points from their visit to the south bank of the Tyne.

It was the Moors that enjoyed the better of the first-half as Gateshead failed to reach anywhere near the levels of quality and intensity demanded by their manager during 45 minutes of frustration for the home faithful. An improvement of sorts was found in the early stages of the second-half as Kain Adom, Steven Telford, Kian Pennant and man of the match Fenton John were all unable to grab their side’s first goal of the game.

Their inability to find a cutting edge was duly punished when Moors substitute Stevenson converted from close range after the Heed failed to deal with a corner-kick from the left and the visitors sealed the points in the closing stages when Wakeling was first to react after Heed keeper Tiernan Brooks had kept out an effort from the goalscorer.

The defeat means Gateshead have now claimed just two points from their last seven games on their home patch - and Armstrong stressed their record at the International Stadium must improve over the coming weeks.

Frustration

He told The Echo: “We had a right go at them at half-time, we demanded a lot more intensity and I think you saw that. We put it on them, we won the ball back higher but we missed chances. I can’t tell what happened on their first goal, I thought Tiernan had saved it but then it ends in the back of the net. They took their chances, we didn’t. We should have equalised and then they go up the other end and score. The standards weren’t good enough and we can’t pick and choose when to turn it on. We can’t start games the way we do.

“It just wasn’t good enough, we were so flat, it just wasn’t enough. We really can’t put our finger on it. We have to try and change something. It’s something we need to put right and if I could put my finger on it, it would be easy to fix. I am sure we will get there and I understand the fans’ frustration.”

Gateshead: Brooks, Johnson (Flint), Bakare, Grayson (Melbourne), Ferguson, Home, Edwards (Chapman), John, Adom, Pennant (Telford), Nouble (Hurst) Subs: Leech, Williams,

Solihull Moors: Walker, Clarke, Whitmore, Nicholson, Wilkinson (Stevenson), Worman (Bowen), Lipsiuc (Wakeling), High, Tipton (Rutherford), Sinclair (Sonupe), French Subs: Quinn, Green

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