Mike Williamson proud of Gateshead side despite defeat to Stevenage

Gateshead player-manager Mike Williamson was proud of his side’s second-half comeback that threatened an FA Cup shock, but was ultimately frustrated by costly defensive errors in a 3-2 defeat to Stevenage.

The Tynesiders looked dead and buried at the halfway stage after a one-sided first half as League Two title chasers Stevenage opened up a two-goal lead through Jordan Roberts and a Kenton Richardson own goal that did not flatter them.

Boro could have been out of sight and would have been but for over-worked Gateshead keeper James Montgomery and Gateshead battled back through Will Harris and Kami Conteh before Luke Norris struck the winner for Stevenage, who had Roberts sent off.

“I’m extremely proud, it’s an incredible group of lads to work with,” said Williamson. “We’re all gutted, we’re out of the FA Cup. At 2-2 we had the belief in us but for their third goal we had a few opportunities to clear it, which is frustrating.

“We had to play with a lot of courage in the second half as we didn’t show our character and identity in the first half. You always throw a question down to the boys at half-time.

“There are so many good things to take from the game today. Some of the football we played. It was night and day in terms of the naivety at times, we were trying to overplay and come off cute and doing things individually.

“The lads are so desperate to get the momentum with us. We’ve all got to understand the situation we are in and if we can take of our link and chain then the whole cog will be stronger for it.”

Stevenage boss Steve Evans believes his side should have put the game to bed after a dominant first-half display.

He said: “We should have been three-up at the interval. We then started the second half brilliantly, missed two big chances and then they got two deflected goals.

“The first one is a wicked deflection and the second one is going as wide as St James’ Park. Then we had to show some character and to be fair the boys showed the character, and then some tenacity from (Jake) Reeves to set up Luke Norris”

“We didn’t start well, we started the game sloppily and then worked our way into the game.

“Gateshead gambled at 2-2 and we counter-attacked and Norris nearly tucked it away to kill the tie. We then have a sending off. I need to look at it. What about the initial challenge on Roberts?

“I have got no complaints with the referee today. It was the fourth official who was behind the sending off.

“We have gone through and we deserved too over the course of the game, but it could have been a much more comfortable win.”