Greg Olley wants Gateshead to push on after FA Trophy Final defeat

The Wembley loss brought down the curtain on what has been a long and challenging season for Mike Williamson’s men, who mounted a successful battle against relegation from the National League with an inspired run of form during the second half of the campaign.

The cup competitions have been a source of positivity for the Heed after they reached the first round of the FA Cup before falling to a 3-2 defeat against League One runners-up Stevenage and qualified for their first ever FA Trophy Final by seeing off the likes of Oldham Athletic and Barnet.

Olley’s side fell to a narrow defeat against Halifax as Jamie Clarke grabbed the only goal of the game to ensure Gateshead were unable to claim silverware at the home of football to round off a season where every emotion has been experienced. But the former Newcastle United and Hull City academy midfielder preferred to focus on preparations for next season and revealed he is hoping for some ‘exciting additions’ to the Gateshead squad during the summer.

He told The Echo: “You have always got to say it’s been a successful season if you get to a cup final and you achieve the aim you set out for, which was to stay in the league.

“I think it’s a successful season, one we will look back on, having played at Wembley, we gave it our all, but just fallen short. The club is now thriving, it’s only going one way. We have won a league, we have got to a cup final and now we want to go into next season with full steam ahead.

“You want to keep the core together and then if you get some exciting additions, that can only go one way. We are in a better place to do so, we should be able to attract some good players with if we are having the success we are, that can only help.”