NEAL ARDLEY credited Gateshead for their late goal to earn a point in a 1-1 draw with York City on Boxing Day.

The York boss admitted that Gateshead cannot be underestimated after Kyran Lofthouse’s late strike cancelled out Ryan Fallowfield’s earlier opener, with Ardley feeling that his players suffered in the stalemate.

Ardley also responded to complaints directed at his team for not playing on the front foot, and felt frustrated that it was another late goal that spoiled City’s day to rule out a potential three points.

“You can’t underestimate how good Gateshead are”, Ardley told BBC Radio York.

“You’ve seen them wallop Rochdale by five, Dorking by six and Eastleigh by six, and if you get it wrong then they will just pick you apart.

“The structure, the work ethic, the team spirit and the competitive edge without the ball, to know that we were going to spend probably 75 per cent without the ball is not an easy thing to do, it’s an art within itself.

“I thought that the boys carried out the game plan brilliantly and on the counter attack we looked really good, it was just that final pass and that final moment.

“You can’t underestimate how hard we have worked for that, it’s just a short corner and we need two players on the release.

“We’ve got that little fraction wrong and he’s bent it into the corner.”

Ardley hit back at complaints that his side weren’t attacking enough after allowing Gateshead the majority of possession throughout the contest.

“At no point do we say to the lads to not run forward, we say to the lads that on your moment, run forward and go, transition and run back again.

“It takes a lot of effort, but it was a great goal and a great finish from Ryan to hit it first time.

“We had some other great moments, Paddy (McLaughlin) had a great chance and there were a couple that went across goal and we could have gotten onto the end of.

“We had to do a hell of a lot of work, that’s what they do, they make you suffer do Gateshead.

“We did it and it was one short corner, when you look at Saturday and then look at this again, you can’t help but feel that four points have come out of your hands.

“I can only keep working our socks off on trying to get results.”