Football: Bogie's fury at Trophy defeat; FA TROPHY.

Byline: By JEFF BOWRON

GATESHEAD manager Ian Bogie's patience is wearing thin after his side crashed out of the FA Trophy at the first hurdle against Conference North rivals Harrogate Town.

The visitors had to play the final half-hour with 10 men after Mike Roddy was sent off but, by then, they were two up after Richard Marshall had struck early in each half.

Both goals came from throw-ins, with returning striker James Dean heading flick-ons to Marshall, who finished clinically on each occasion to ensure Gateshead's run without a clean sheet stretched to 17 games.

Manager Ian Bogie said: "Once again we failed to beat a top-six side.

"Harrogate came with a game plan, defended in numbers, hit us on the break and on the day deserved the victory.

"We were denied a blatant penalty in the first half for a handball on the line, but in the second half, even after Harrogate were reduced to 10 men, we struggled to create openings.

"We've got to look now and see how we can get better in a few departments as we conceded two bad goals from set-pieces, struggled to get to grips in midf ield and lacked a cutting edge in the final third.

"We're out of all the cup competitions now and our sole focus now is a top-six place. We want to take this club to the next level and if some players aren't up to it then I'm going to have to bring other ones in.

"We've got a great chance to bounce back against Hyde on Saturday to cement our place in the top seven - and it's one we must take."

After Steve Turnbull had missed a good chance to give Gateshead the lead, a Dean flick-on saw Marshall get the better of debutant Dan Smith to score beyond the far post.

Captain Kris Gate, Lee Novak and Armstrong, on three occasions, all went close as Gateshead bossed the rest of the opening half, but there was no way back after Marshall's second in the 51st minute.

David Southern, part of a triple substitution before the hour, failed to convert Gate's pull-back from close range and then Novak headed a Steve Turnbull corner against the bar four minutes from time.

The defeat was witnessed by Gateshead's second crowd of the week below 300, and Bogie will now step up his search for new blood to strengthen the squad.

Harrogate's Gateshead-born manager Neil Aspin was delighted with victory.

"I was really proud of the performance. It's never easy at Gateshead but Marshall took his goals well and the workrate and application was tremendous," he said.

CAPTION(S):

HITTING OUT: Striker Graeme Armstrong takes on Harrogate