HEREFORD manager Russell Slade said his side didn’t show the same energy and creativity in their 2-0 defeat against Gateshead as they did days earlier.

A first half Elliot Forbes header put the hosts into the lead in a match of few chances before substitute Dominic Tear sealed the win with a second goal in the dying moments.

It was Hereford’s ninth away defeat of the season and Slade says his side lacked the same energy they showed three days earlier against Kidderminster Harriers.

“I thought we were the better side in the first half and I spoke to their manager who thought we were too,” said Slade.

“Certainly between the two boxes, the goal is very disappointing because it shouldn’t have been a corner in the first place and then it’s second or third phase when we haven’t picked up and he’s finished with an easy enough header to go and give them an advantage at half-time.

“In the second period, again the game has opened up a little bit with two teams who have played a lot of football recently and we were trying to get back into the game and obviously did everything we could to try and get back in the game.

“I can’t fault the effort of the players I’m just disappointed with the second goal as it was like we stopped on it and Ben Pollock had done so well to slide in and get the interception in the first place.

“We didn’t create enough chances for sure, we got into some really good areas in the final third but probably didn’t find that cross, that shot, that slide or that thread to undo Gateshead this afternoon.

“There were some good things but it’s that nitty gritty at each end of the pitch and in both boxes that count at the end of the day.

“We will keep working, we’re in a period of transition as well, we’re trying to turn not just results around but also to improve the group as we go along to become stronger and better as we move forward.

“By and large our home form apart from the odd lapse has been fairly solid but away from home we have not got it together.

“Leamington we got a good result and we drew one at Darlington, but we need to stay in games and we make mistakes and concede an early goal and we’ve been punished for that at times on our travels and that’s something we need to address as quickly as we can.

“We’re back to normal on Tuesday and Thursday and no midweek game and I think we need that right now because I don’t think we could quite find the energy that we have found certainly in the last game.

“We couldn’t quite inject that into it, we weren’t as potent and as creative as we’ve been in the last game.