Steve Akrigg tells AFC Telford to step up

The Bucks, who are still searching for their first league win of the season, will be looking to put Saturday's disappointing 4-1 defeat to Dover Athletic behind them.

The Conference Premier side's poor start to the new campaign has left them stranded in the relegation zone with just two points from their first seven matches.

Akrigg said: "I would rather try our best and get it out of our system straight away. It's a tough place to go Gateshead.

"They are a decent side on their own patch, but it's important that we all group together and get up for it.

"We have certainly got to prove something here because every game at home we've lost and from our point of view that's not good enough.

"We are going away from home and I don't know whether it's because we're setting up better or whether it's just the way we're playing away from home.

"But we seem a lot tighter and the goals aren't really massive mistakes whereas at home we're just conceding sloppy goals."

Gateshead will also be looking to recover after they suffered their second defeat of the season, after being beaten 2-1 at Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.

Gary Mills' side have picked up six points from a possible nine at the International Stadium so far.

But a 6-1 thumping by Grimsby in their second home game will give Telford reason to be confident.

Akrigg has admitted that the responsibility lies with the experienced players in the squad as they look to turn things around.

He said: "There are certain people who need an arm around them and there's certain people that need a rollicking and that's just the way football is.

"With the younger lads – the older experienced ones have always got to be the ones to lift them up, because they have been there and done it."

Akrigg also believes that new loan signing Josh O'Keefe will play an important role in his time at the New Bucks Head.

He said: "I know Josh well and he's been around the Conference for a couple of years now and he's certainly got the ability to help push us on.

"He's a good player and he'll son add something to us."

Gateshead were beaten 2-1 by Cambridge in last season's Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley.

The shock mauling at the hands of Grimsby – who avenged their defeat to the Heed in last season's play-off semi-finals – was a big blip in an otherwise impressive start by Mills' men.

On Saturday, a Harriers defence that has only conceded three goals this season held out to inflict defeat on Gateshead at Aggborough.

Craig Reid gave Harriers the lead within just seven seconds of the restart for the second half. Nathan Blissett headed home to make it 2-0.

Jon Shaw's header reduced the deficit in the 64th minute but Harriers held on.