Gateshead suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat away to Wealdstone on Saturday, a result that leaves them rock bottom of the National League. The loss is their eighth in ten league games, leaving them with a solitary win and just four points on the board, a position clearly shown in the current standings.
Ollie Olomola opened the scoring for the hosts in the 22nd minute, before Luke Norris doubled the advantage from the penalty spot just after the half-hour. Any hope of a comeback was extinguished two minutes after the restart when Jayden Wells-Morrison made it three, with substitute Jayden Cook adding a fourth late on. Gateshead's afternoon was summed up by three yellow cards for Kieran Lewis-Burgess, Alex Lankshear and Kieran Ferguson, adding to the team's poor disciplinary stats this campaign.
Assistant manager Ben Clark took on post-match media duties instead of manager Lee Cattermole. "I thought we started the game well first half, started the game well," Clark said. "Couple of chances. Luke looked lively. David was causing problems up front. Jordy on the wings and then just achilles heel at the minute." He acknowledged the team's form, noting they have taken only one point from the last possible 21, a run that has cemented their place at the foot of the table.
The performance and result have deepened the disconnect with the travelling support. Around 100 fans made the long trip south and voiced their displeasure, with chants of 'You’re getting sacked in the morning' audible at full-time. Fan commentator Dan Bell (@TheDB30) was critical of the coaching staff's lack of engagement. "He didn’t even look at the fans, let alone clap or come over," Bell said. "Spineless. Only member of coaching staff that did come over was Clarky, that in itself tells you who has the club truly at heart."
The defeat leaves Gateshead 24th in the National League, a full 22 points behind leaders Boreham Wood and having conceded 24 goals already this season. They must regroup quickly for their next match in the fixtures list, a home game against eighth-placed Altrincham this Tuesday. The squad, which can be viewed in full on the club's squad page, faces a critical test to stop the slide.
