Magnay feeling 'really positive' as Gateshead boost play-off bid with Forest Green Rovers win

Gateshead manager Carl Magnay can see ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’ after a number of injured players continued their comebacks with impressive performances in Saturday’s 3-2 win at National League rivals Forest Green Rovers.

After securing a long-awaited home win against Dagenham and Redbridge last weekend, the Heed travelled to Gloucestershire looking to hand another boost to their play-off bid by securing back-to-back wins for the first time for the first time in almost two months. They made the perfect start as Jovan Malcolm fired Magnay’s men in front inside the opening minutes of the game and the former West Bromwich Albion striker doubled his tally and his side’s lead just before half-time after goalkeeper George Shelvey had produced two stunning saves to preserve the lead.

On-loan Salford City midfielder Liam Humbles added a third goal with a neat run and finish on the hour-mark - although a freak own-goal from Regan Booty and a Christian Doidge effort meant the Heed had to fight hard to hold on to an impressive three points during seven minutes of injury-time.

Despite some late pressure, they were able to claim a fine win and Magnay has stressed the return of key players like Joe Grayson, Kenton Richardson and Brandon Haunstrup means he can head into the final four games of the season in a ‘really positive’ mood.

He told the club website: “Naturally it’s a confidence boost with a little bit of momentum from the win last week and it’s not really a coincidence. I think anyone with half a brain cell could see what has been happening. We’ve had to grind through a tough period as a club and as players. It’s not slight on the players that have been playing, it’s structural, so many changes in and out and players that haven’t played together.

“We’ve suffered massively but the light at the end of the tunnel was getting these players back, particularly lads that have been with us for a longer period of time, who know the system and are a bit braver in terms of being able to play and that came at a great time for us because of the run-in. Having these players back, managing to get them through 90 minutes, some being taken away but those numbers are building and we can hopefully keep them on for 90 minutes, it’s really positive.”

The Heed are back in action when York City visit the International Stadium for a lunchtime kick-off on Friday before turning their focus towards a Bank Holiday Monday trip to Hartlepool United.

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