Clark anxious to make amends for first leg mistakes

18 March 2011 21:53
Gateshead captain Ben Clark intends to atone for having involuntarily played a part in Darlington's second half comeback last week.[LNB] Quakers came from 2-0 behind to win the FA Trophy semi-final first leg 3-2 at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] The teams meet again today at the International Stadium with Clark, a former Hartlepool centre-back, eager for a better showing.[LNB] "I was disappointed with my second-half performance," he said. "I set myself high standards and I let myself down, giving the free-kick away for their second goal, then (Liam) Hatch got in front of me for his header. So I want to put that right.[LNB] "We were very disappointed by the way we played second half but we haven't dwelled on it too much.[LNB] "We had a little conversation on Monday and looked at the goals we conceded, and we know they weren't good enough.[LNB] "It was disappointing that they didn't have to work too hard to score. It was sloppy play by us, more than anything else."[LNB] Clark will be partnered at the back by James Curtis if the towering defender can recover in time from a groin strain that kept him out of the previous two matches with Quakers.[LNB] Ten days ago the sides drew 2-2 at the International Stadium, while Darlington won the league encounter between the teams 2-0 at the Arena back in October.[LNB] But Gateshead are much-improved since then and Clark added: "We're very confident, we know on our day we can beat anybody. It's a one-off game.[LNB] "The games we've played against Darlington this season have been quite tight, bar the first one. There's nothing between the teams now and it should be a good game.[LNB] "We'll be looking to do what we did in the first half for the full 90 minutes."[LNB] Clark was at Pools when they played at the Millennium Stadium in the 2005 League One play-off final, but did not play in the defeat by Sheffield Wednesday.[LNB] With playing at Wembley the prize for today's winners, he said: "It's up there with the biggest games I've ever played. It's a fantastic incentive to go and play at Wembley. Not many footballers at our level can say they've done that.[LNB] "It's not easy to put it to the back of your mind, but you've got to. You can't afford to play the occasion.[LNB] "Every footballer wants to play at Wembley, it'd be a fantastic day out. It would be a massive day for the town, the club, the chairman, the management, all of the supporters and for the players, so it's going to be a fantastic occasion on Saturday.[LNB] "By all accounts there's going to be a big crowd there, a good atmosphere, which would be fantastic for both teams.[LNB] "It's obviously a massive game with a massive incentive but we've just got to do as we've been doing all season."[LNB]

Source: Northern_Echo