MATCH PREVIEW: GATESHEAD

The Wood are on the road again this Saturday, January 13 (3pm) when they face Gateshead, in the FA Trophy. Here’s our preview……..

Match Details

Away fans are usually located in the large East Stand on one side of the stadium. This stand has a capacity of 4,000. The stand is covered and free of supporting pillars, so fans have an unobstructed view of the playing action.

Team News

The Wood came away unscathed from Tuesday’s win over Dagenham & Redbridge, with no fresh injury concerns.

Joe Quigley made his debut against Dagenham, and will be hoping to retain his place for the trip to Gateshead.

Form Guide

An excellent 2-3 victory over Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday night will have raised confidence amongst the Wood.

A brace from Bruno Andrade has seen him rise to second in the goal scoring charts.

Angelo Balanta also netted in the victory, to take his tally of goals to seven, for the season.

The win has lifted the Wood back into the playoffs, in fifth place, just four points off Aldershot Town in fourth.

Managed by 43-year-old Steve Watson, The Heed currently sit 18th in the table on 32-points.

Watson’s side beat Guiseley 2-1 in the previous round of the FA Trophy, thanks to an extra-time winner from Theo Vassell.

The win over Guiseley, is The Heed’s only victory in their last five matches, in all competitions, with three draws.

From the Dugout – Luke Garrard

“We know Gateshead and we know their personnel quite well, we went up there early on in the season, albeit under a different manager.

“Steve Watson has gone in there now and done a great job. I think that they have got games in hand, so if they can go and get the points that they probably deserve, they can get themselves up the table. For me, going there in a cup fixture, it is going to be tough.

“They play a different style to before. I watched their games against Hartlepool and Sutton; they try and play through the thirds, they have got a focal point in (Jordan) Burrow, and good legs in Wes Yorke and (Richard) Peniket either side.

“He has got them playing in a certain way, and it is for us to obviously try and disrupt that and get in our flow.

“if we can do that, then I think that we can cause them problems. I have done my homework on the Hartlepool game and the Sutton game and I have called a few managers, so I have done my bit behind the scenes.

“We have done a bit on them on the huddle sessions today with the players, so they know how we are going to try and counteract where their strengths are and exploit their weaknesses.”