FUMING Solihull Moors boss Mark Yates pulled no punches after he watched his side draw 2-2 with ten-man Gateshead at the International Stadium on Tuesday night.
A gut-wrenching equaliser in the fourth minute of second half stoppage time denied Moors all three points – three points which would have moved them out of the National League relegation zone.
After Rees Greenwood’s early red card, Alex Reid put Moors into the lead before Heed equalised through Paddy McLaughlin.
Chris Lait thought he’d won it for Yates’ men just moments after he’d entered the field, however, it wasn’t to be as Wes York’s last minute strike deflected in off Kyle Storer.
“I am fuming, absolutely fuming with the way we let them back in the game,” said Yates.
“We could have won that game 15-2 and we should never have conceded two goals.
“We had chance, after chance, after chance and I am not having that.
“I am gutted because so much of our play was so good.
“But to let two goals in, especially the manner of the last one, it is why we are where we are [in the table].”
The draw for Moors followed on from Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Sutton United.
Tom Bolarinwa’s first-half goal won it for the hosts in a game which saw Adi Yussuf sent off for the visitors.
Yates felt Moors matched second-placed Sutton in every department, despite slipping to defeat at Gander Green Lane.
“I’m bitterly disappointed that we’ve not got anything from the game, to be fair,” he said.
“They ask questions of you and 99 per cent of the time, we dealt with everything.
“We didn’t even switch off (for the goal), we didn’t quite get the set piece right and they scored.
“Unfortunately a bit of movement caused us a problem and it shouldn’t have done.
“It wasn’t a good ball in. The lad has just kept it alive and it’s a good finish to be fair.”
Fourth-from-bottom Moors now turn their attentions to Saturday’s to third-from-bottom Torquay United in a match which neither team can afford to lose at this stage of the campaign.
Yates’ Moors, who are one point adrift of safety, have ten games to secure another season at the top tier of non-league football.
“The players need to take a long hard look at themselves at the top end of the pitch and for the two goals they conceded [against Gateshead], said the Moors boss.
“Torquay is our biggest game of the season and we have to make sure we are at it – and we will be.
“We have to make sure we finish our chances and keep a clean sheet.”
