MATT TAYLOR BRUTALLY HONEST IN ASSESSMENT OF GATESHEAD DEFEAT

Wealdstone were defeated on the road against fourth placed Gateshead in a game that saw Taylor's side fail to convert a number of big chances once again.

"I thought we started the game really well and created some fantastic opportunities," Said Matt Taylor. "We took the game to Gateshead who are one of the top teams in our League. At half-time it was hard for me to say anything negative to the players because we created some unbelievable chances, but again I'm sat here talking about missing chances and not winning games so that's the disappointing thing for me."

Whilst it has been a tough start to the season for the Stones, it hasn't been helped by the absence of some key names in the squad.

"Lets be perfectly frank, open and honest, were missing Sean Adarkwa, Craig Eastmond, Jaydn Mundle-Smith, Adrian Mariappa and Max Kretzschmar. All five of those are in the team. If you take any of a teams five best players you're going to have issues."

"I want to be as open and honest with the supporters, I thank them for travelling up today, they were fantastic. They'll be making the long journey home like we are thinking how did we not score today. The players that get opportunities to score have to take them, were not conceding lots of goals and that's what's hurting us."

It's the Stones first loss in three games, but now sit second bottom in the National League, with just one win from their opening 13 fixtures.

"There comes a point where I have to take accountability for that and it's on my shoulders. What we've got to do is solve that solution, which will be helped when players come back. We're in a tough spot but we're not playing badly. Every team we play get that half chance and they take it. We have to be better. "

"This isn't me hanging the players out to dry, this is me saying we've got to be better, we've all got to be better. There comes a point where the value of overhitting a cross, missing a pass and not hitting the target means more, but I can't be disappointed in the players overall performance."

"We've now lost two in five, two of those we were winning into injury time, I'm aware of the issue and we are trying to fix it. The players have taken on the game plan really well and they're working really hard. But the one thing no one can shy away from is that we're creating chances and not taking them."

The only goal of the game came at a time where Wealdstone legs began to tire, in the 74th minute, when Jovan Malcolm headed past Sam Howes, after a scramble around the box saw the ball find the head of the Gateshead substitute.

"It's not necessarily fitness but more that players that we're missing, and I mean that with the greatest respect to the players that are available, but the five players that we have out are big players for our football club. At the moment we can't seem to really last in terms of games and the lads are coming on and trying their best. It shouldn't matter because truth be told we should be two or three ahead at that point anyway. They (Gateshead) had their moments between 50-70 minutes and took their chance."

"Their goal is fortuitous in how they get into the box and how it bounces to them. From my perspective I loathe talking about the luck we should have. It's not about luck it's about being better in those big moments in games."

Wealdstone found a lot of their success down the flanks, with both Elliot Thorpe and Enzio Boldewijn looking to get the ball into the box at every opportunity down either wing.

"We tried something different today and i felt it worked. Elliot hasn't played football for 15/16 months and you can see he's lacking match fitness but his quality and delivery has been excellent so I'm really pleased with him again, he'll only get better and better. We asked Enzio to be positive and deliver good balls and he did that, but it's the bit in the middle if we really believe we are going to score."

"I have full confidence in my players and I know as a former player myself that it can be tough when things aren't going your way. We are a good team and once we have fit and available strong group we are capable of achieving something this season that you're going to think I'm mad for saying when we are second from bottom but i firmly believe that we are a good team and performances for large parts of games show that."

Next up for the Stones is a break from league action when they face Gosport Borough in the FA Cup next Saturday at home.

"We have a break from the League coming up in a game which we have no 'right to win' but an opportunity to win that. We have struggled in the fourth qualifying round for a number of years. The messages will be the same to that players that have to put the chances away and if they don't then it'll be a tough afternoon for us. "