‘That can never happen again’ – Morecambe boss on being 4-0 down to Gateshead after 12 minutes

‘That can never happen again’ – Morecambe boss Ashvir Singh Johal reacts on his side being 4-0 down to Gateshead after 12 minutes.

The game ended it a 5-2 victory for the Heed Army on Tuesday night, taking them up to 13th in the National League, with 17 points from 13 games played, while Morecambe are bottom with 7 points from 10 games played.

It took just two minutes for Chapman to find the net, followed by Adom in the 4th. Pani added a third in the 10th, and Chapman netted his second in the 12th, leaving everyone in the stadium stunned.

Morecambe’s George Thomas pulled one back in the 33rd then Pani extended Gateshead’s lead to 5-1 in the 72nd, Lewis Payne grabbed Morecambe’s second in stoppage time.

2′ Harrison Chapman – Morecambe 0-1 Gateshead
4′ Kain Adom – Morecambe 0-2 Gateshead
10′ Connor Pani – Morecambe 0-3 Gateshead
12′ Harrison Chapman – Morecambe 0-4 Gateshead
33′ George Thomas – Morecambe 1-4 Gateshead
72′ Connor Pani – Morecambe 1-5 Gateshead
90+5′ Lewis Payne – Morecambe 2-5 Gateshead

Morecambe: Mair, Payne, Conte (Thomas 24′), Azeez, Panayiotou (Tollitt 45′), Cain, Aarons (Edwards 82′), Sesay (Francillette 69′), Songo’o (C), Dixon-Bonner, Nolan

Subs not used: Ascroft, Sutton, Raikhy.

Goals: Thomas 33′, Payne 90+5′.

Bookings: Sesay 61′.

Gateshead: Brooks, Pani, Richardson (Williams 55′), Grayson (Flint 75′), Ferguson, Edwards, John, Butterfield (Home 46′), Adom (Lowery 75′), Nouble, Chapman.

Subs not used: Leech, Hurst, Bone.

Goals: Chapman 2′ 12′, Adom 4′. Pani 10′.

Bookings: Nouble 81′

Morecambe boss Ashvir said: “Yeah, the first 12 minutes and the rest of the game were two completely different games. We started very bad. That’s not the type of team we want to be.

“It’s not the performance we want to put out. know they, for ourselves, for the team, it’s not good enough, but also for everybody that’s paid money to watch and supporting us, that doesn’t represent Morecambe and it wasn’t good enough.

“We started very poorly, were sloppy in terms of our intensity, we didn’t win many duels. But after that we were okay.

“Being 4-0 down after 12 minutes, that can never happen again. But we also showed that there were moments we could have got back in.

“Back end of the second half, the first half we had a lot of chances and virtually the whole second half we had consistent chances so we could have got back in that game, we could have made better decisions in the final third but the damage was done in the first 12 minutes and Furze is now rectifying those mistakes, looking at how we can improve in those areas but making quick changes that can help us defend better.

Interviewer: “Going forward again, there’s no problems going forward is there, you look at real quality at going forward, it’s just that defence isn’t it?”

Ashvir: “Yeah, and it’s not due to a lack of trying, the players give their all. Sometimes those things happen, but they’ve happened too far frequently enough now. We’ve got to make sure that it doesn’t happen again starting on Saturday.

“There’s a lot of work to do for every game. Our processes will stay consistent, we work hard, we try and give our all, we try and improve and get better every week, and we’ll continue to do that.

“I’ve mentioned after the first question that defensively we need to improve that’s going to be what the focus is on.

“Listen, as we saw in parts of the game today, we’re not a bad side. The players give their all, everybody gives their all in all moments.

“We have to be better defensively, but we will get there. Like I always said, end of October is going to be when we’re fully ready.

We’ve had 10 games, think we’ve had 19, 20 training sessions out of those, only three or four have been proper sessions. The rest have all been day after a game or day before a game.

“So the schedule hasn’t helped. If we had a preseason, we wouldn’t have seen a lot of these issues. But the issues aren’t because of anything apart from the actions that happen in the game.

“It’s not a structure thing. It’s a personnel thing. It’s just we’ve got to be better in certain moments. And that’s what we’ll get to do.”

Gateshead boss Alun said: “Proud, that’s a certainty. I, never, as I say, I’ve probably lost for words a little bit because the start was unbelievable. It was sensational.

“Some of the football we played was just breathtaking and I was standing there, I had to have a sit down just watching it and you just, is it happening?

“But we’ve been threatening it. We have been threatening little bits like that and I see them training every day.

“When we train you see some of the qualities we’ve got and it was just putting it into practice and today we went through a lot of detail with them regarding Morecambe.

“They’ve got some really, really good players. I’m not just saying that they’ve got some really, really good players, but tonight were bloom away with some sensational football.

“That’s the hardest thing getting the consistency because you still look at what we’ve got, the very very young lads and you look at if you look at the team they’ve finished again there back line all under 21 year old apart from Fergie, it’s still a very, very young team and that’s what I keep saying, we’ve got to be patient with these lads.

“They’re very, very good footballers and they’re learning the game, they’re learning on the job rather than being out on loan.

“So it’s one of these that we’ve got to be really proud of them when they do stuff like this and just realise and take stock of what we’ve got.

“The senior lads have helped them massively, they’ve stuck around, they’ve helped them, they keep working with them and they’re willing learners and that’s all we ask as lads like that to put.

“They put the graft in, they work hard in training and they’ve got the just rewards tonight. That’s why I’m so proud when you look at them.

“Because we’ve got a lot to come back. So it’s really good, but it’s just a start. I know this is just a start with this group. It’s going to get better and better. I’ve said it from the start, got to be patient, there’s going to be some really tough games again.

“That’s never ever going to change but we’ve just got to be patient with them because people are starting to see what we’re capable of.

“We seem to play with a little bit more freedom away from home for some reason, yet we haven’t got a massive fan base that comes to the game. We want a lot more, by the way. We do want a lot more fans that come to the game.

“I can understand why they haven’t been, but we need to get behind these lads and get supporting them. think it’s so frustrating for them at times because away from home, I watch them, I think we’re just playing with a lot more freedom.

“At home, we look a little bit on edge, so I need to get that out of them somehow and get that confidence into them, play the way we know the capable of.”

“I had to have a sit down just watching it!” 😅

Alun Armstrong on tonight’s 5-2 win in Morecambe 👇📺#WorClub ⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/vDpRuaFpgj

— Gateshead FC (@GatesheadFC) September 30, 2025

“The lads were relentless” 👊

Kenton Richardson on tonight’s 5-2 win in Morecambe 👇📺#WorClub ⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/f0zzc0J1ZW

— Gateshead FC (@GatesheadFC) September 30, 2025

Here’s how fans reacted as the Morecambe boss speak on being 4-0 down to Gateshead after 12 minutes…

@thescreenster: What’s he on about? The issues are structural! Gateshead scored 4 in the first 12 because they were allowed to play long balls that got beyond behind the defensive line. Most competent managers stop that from happening after the first goal

@Lancsiron: He is still making me sea sick with all that movement. If he does that in his team talk his players probably need the first 12 minutes to settle themselves…

@mickeyjbrown: If only they had a proper manager, like….I don’t know….. Derek Adams? A farce

@BlackburnRover: Sounds like a man in denial. Swaying side to side shows someone who knows the pressure is well and truly on.

@CRparker88: That first 15 minutes is the worst I’ve ever seen. We’re getting worse every game. Time for change.

@joelshooter47: I didn’t mind the interview until the structure comment 😂 Our 8s are crazy high, Cain’s often playing like a second striker, and FBs pushing miles up. Regardless of if we pass it on the deck or lump it – we’re getting done.

@OffTheLineBlog: When you start coming out with sentences like “we are going to be one of the best football teams in England” it is only ever going to end up going one way. 32 GOALS. 10 GAMES. On average, they are letting in 3 goals a game. Yikes.

@VikingWay__: Remember that new Morecambe manager saying they were going to be one of the best footballing teams in the country soon this season. 😭 Lost the last two 5-0 and 5-2, losing last night to Hursty’s and Will Flint’s Gateshead.

@gm888__: Worries me the ‘it’s not a structure comment’ when it very clearly was last night. Full backs are way too attacking leaving 2 slow CBs exposed on the turnover, every single attack. We have a 10 playing LB, an 8 playing in the 6 and a DM playing at CB. Need a DM with Azeez.

@MorecambeFCFeed: Individual brilliance from Azeez to find Thomas who finished well. As a TEAM, we’re horrific. Genuinely horrific. An embarrassment.