Former Newcastle United and Sunderland stars will go head-to-head as Gateshead face National League rivals Woking on Saturday.
The Black Cats and local rivals Newcastle United were firmly in the midst of a Premier League relegation battle when the two sides met at St James Park just over a decade ago. Sunderland struck first with half-time approaching as Defoe produced a typically instinctive finish that left then-Magpies goalkeeper Elliot with no chance and although an Aleksandr Mitrovic equaliser ensured the points were shared, it was Newcastle that were condemned to relegation into the Championship just two months later.
Elliot has just fought a far more successful battle against the drop during his second spell as Gateshead manager and one that has made national headlines. Following a narrow home defeat against fellow strugglers Brackley Town in mid-February, the Heed were 11 points from safety and without a win in their previous 15 games in all competitions. However, a win at FC Halifax Town kickstarted a remarkable run of just two defeats in the following 15 games and their National League status was secured with a 1-0 win at Aldershot Town last weekend.
With the pressure of relegation now behind them, Elliot’s side will now focus on Saturday’s home clash with Defoe’s Woking and the former Black Cats favourite will look to extend what has been a solid start to his career in the dugout. Since marking his managerial debut with a dramatic 3-3 draw against Eastleigh, the Cards have secured goalless draws with Braintree Town and Solihull Moors either side of a 5-1 demolition of struggling Morecambe.
Outstanding career
Elliot has been impressed with Defoe’s immediate impact on the side he inherited from former Woking manager Neal Ardley - although needed no reminder of what happened the last time he and the former Sunderland striker went head-to-head.
Elliot told The Echo: “I was wondering if this would be brought up. It was a derby game wasn’t it? And he scored didn’t he? I knew this would come up today. There’s been a few times this season when former Premier League players have faced each other. Obviously, you’ve got Robbie Savage at Forest Green, Mark Hughes at Carlisle, and now Jermain is at Woking. Jermain was a hugely high-profile player, he had an outstanding career and you would imagine he has a ridiculous amount of knowledge after playing for so many top managers throughout his career.
“He has taken his time, he’s done his badges, so there’s no thought of a publicity stunt here, it’s something he wants to do. If you watch Woking in the last two weeks like we have, you can see what he wants to do, they want to dominate the ball a little bit more and we know it will be tough.”
Performance
Gateshead officially secured their National League status with a narrow win at Aldershot Town on Saturday (photo Jack McGraghan)placeholder image
Gateshead officially secured their National League status with a narrow win at Aldershot Town on Saturday (photo Jack McGraghan) | Jack McGraghan
Last weekend’s win at Aldershot brought a successful end to Gateshead’s ‘Great Escape’ - although Elliot was not completely satisfied with the performance his players produced to secure their survival. However, over the days that fellow, the Heed manager’s mood has mellowed and he believes everyone connected with the club deserves a chance to celebrate ‘something special’ that has been achieved during the second half of the campaign.
“I wasn’t quite happy on Saturday with our performance but I calmed down after the game and spoke to the boys. It’s now starting to settle in what an unbelievable achievement it is when you really think about the fact we’ve gone from having no form at all to having top of the table form in the last 15 games. It’s some achievement and it’s great improving - but to improve that much is just a testament for everyone. But the biggest thing for me is having that vibe around the place, getting fans back through the door and with a group of players that care and it’s a massive positive going forward. Everyone deserves a chance to know we’ve done something special but that can’t be it and it has to be used as a catalyst going forward.”
Identity
Unsurprisingly, Gateshead’s final push towards safety brought rewards for Elliot after he was named as National League manager of the month for March and he was presented with his award alongside his players and staff on Friday. However, the results during the last six weeks only tell half of the story of what has been achieved on and off the pitch since the turn of the year.
Elliot and his coaching staff have fallen back on the values and identity that brought them great success during their first stint at the International Stadium and the former Newcastle United goalkeeper gave an insight into the mindset he and his players have shown to kickstart an almost unprecedented upturn in fortunes.
He said: “It was just about getting a clear identity and structure and bringing in some players that didn’t carry the weight of the first few months of the season. The recruitment was the first thing, the structure on the pitch and being clear with what we wanted was key and then being defensively solid. We have always been process driven, then it’s about how can we win each game with our identity and being adaptable. But then I think the players know we care and that’s a big thing for us. They know our standards are high, they know there are non-negotiables and they know if they do everything we ask of them, they know there are opportunities to take and opportunities to perform.”
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