AS they prepare to tour the Lakes this week, Gateshead’s players have been told team-bonding will require waterproofs.
Hardly the most cryptic of advice whatever the activities planned.
However, as they also face Evo-Stik Premier outfit Kendal Town and Workington of the Conference North, Ian Bogie has urged his men to use such games to improve their form against so-called lesser opposition.
The Tynesiders fared better last season against Blue Square Bet Premier’s bigger boys, tripping up against its dimmer lights.
During the current pre-season they have performed well in slender defeat to League One Huddersfield Town and, on Saturday, led the Terriers’ divisional rivals Carlisle United 2-0 – courtesy of Yemi Odubade’s first goal for the club and trialist Kyle Nix’s penalty – before torrential rain on the hour made a waterlogged pitch unplayable, forcing the game to be abandoned.
Yet against Conference North side Harrogate Town last week, Bogie’s players under-performed, and it is an inconsistency born, he believes, of an attitude he means to rid his side of in the future.
Bogie said: “After the Harrogate game I said to the lads I was disappointed because whether you are playing in proper games or seven-a-sides in training sessions, you should want to win every time.
“It is a mental thing, because if you look at last season results against the good sides, the Wrexhams, the Luton Towns and the Crawley Towns, were right up there. We played and matched each and every one of them.
“No disrespect to them, but when we played against the lesser teams, the likes of Hayes and Yeading and Southport, we came unstuck.
“It shows the players can perform at a high standard, but it is about consistency at this level and ultimately that is why a lot of players are playing for Gateshead Football Club and maybe not for Carlisle United or Newcastle United.
“They have to show consistency in their performances, individually and collectively, and if we can produce that we’ll have an exciting season ahead.”
True enough, judging by their display against Carlisle, for the first half at least.
Boasting more of the ball and making infinitely better use of it, the hosts lead after 23 minutes when Odubade burst past Stephen Swinglehurst and drilled a low, angled shot beyond Adam Collin.
Ten minutes later Jon Shaw latched on to Phil Turnbull’s astute chip into the area but was bundled over by Swinglehurst, Nix converting the resulting spot kick.
Aside from a Jon-Paul McGovern shot – comfortably palmed away by Tim Deasy – Carlisle barely registered on the radar.
Manager Greg Abbott refused to be too downbeat with his under-performing players.
He said: “Right from the kick-off the ball was not moving through the pitch, and trying to pass the ball was nigh-on impossible.
“Two mistakes for the goals were maybe down to the pitch as much as anything, and it ended up a sorry affair.
“It is a bit demoralising and we were a bit upset we gave the ball away a bit too cheaply.
“That might be down to the pitch but I don’t like to make excuses. We gave it away cheaply and did not work hard enough to win it back.”
GATESHEAD: Farman (Deasy 46), Odhiambo, Curtis, Clark, Rents (Baxter 46), Moore, Cummins, Turnbull (Gate 46), Nix, Shaw (Mulligan 46), Odubade.
CARLISLE (first half): Collin, Simek, Michalik, O'Halloran, Swinglehurst, Mikkelsen, Noble, Berrett, Zoko, Curran, Welsh; (second half): Gillespie, Simek, Livesey, Murphy, Robson, Taiwo, Todd, Green, McGovern, Loy, Madden.
Referee: Seb Stocksbridge (Dunston)
Attendance: 589
