Boreham Wood face their longest away trip of the season on Saturday when they make the 520 mile round trip to Gateshead in their third National League fixture.

Both sides head into the game on the back of midweek defeats and opening-day wins.

Ian Allinson's Wood were beaten 1-0 at Eastleigh on Tuesday after a 3-1 victory over FC Halifax Town on Saturday in their first match at this level.

Malcolm Crosby's Gateshead will be looking to improve on last season’s disappointing tenth-place finish, having flirted with the play-off places earlier in the season.

Crosby, who worked with Lee Clark previously at Birmingham City and Blackpool, is new to the job and this is only his second managerial job, the last coming at Sunderland between 1991 and 1993.

The 61-year-old from South Shields replaced Gary Mills in the hot-seat after he left for Wrexham at the end of the season.

It has been a busy off-season for Crosby, who has brough nine new players to the Gateshead International Stadium.

Nathan Buddle and Josh Gillies remain in the north east after moving from Carlisle United and this is attacking midfielder Gillies' second stint with the Tynesiders.

Forest Green Rovers pair James Marwood and Sam Russell have also moved together whilst wideman Jimmy Philips make the switch from Burton Albion after spending the end of last season on loan at Alfreton Town.

Fourteen players have also left the club, including experienced former Wales international John Oster, who has quit aged 36.

The Heed were thrashed 4-1 at home to Trammere Rovers after an impressive 2-1 victory away to Aldershot Town on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Allinson's men sit just outside the play-off places in seventh place. Hosts Gateshead are 16th in the fledgling league standings.