Harry Wheeler took little comfort from Maidstone’s late rally against Gateshead.

The Stones remain four points from safety in the National League after a 3-2 defeat yesterday.

Steve Watson’s side opened up a 3-0 lead before goals from Jake Cassidy and George McLennan gave United hope.

Maidstone’s collapse came after a bright opening in which they played some of their best football under Wheeler.

But three poor goals - although two were beautifully hit - highlighted Maidstone’s problems and left the manager thinking back to his early days in the job when they ground out back-to-back 1-0 wins over Braintree and Aldershot.

Wheeler said: “Let’s be honest, at the moment we’re too easy to score against.

“I take very minimal positives from the fightback. The result’s the same.

“I’d have preferred to be rubbish for 90 minutes and win 1-0.

“We were good first 20, we were good last 20, we still lost.

“It doesn’t matter, you lose, you lose.

“I’d have preferred to be absolutely rubbish, can’t get out of our half, score on the counter and win 1-0, like the Aldershot game probably early on where they were the miles better team and we won 1-0.

“I’d have preferred that but we’re too easy to score against.”

Maidstone were slow to close down as Luke Molyneux and Robbie Tinker gave Gateshead a 2-0 lead, while a mistake by Michael Phillips on the edge of his own box led to the third.

Wheeler said: “We see the same as you lot, we see the same as the fans, we’re screaming close it down, close it down on the first one - goal.

“We’re screaming on the second one, exactly the same thing - goal.

“We worked on it, press, coming out, pressing shots, and unfortunately we didn’t do it.

“The lads were brilliant up to that point and then they dipped for 45/50mins and the third goal sums it up to be honest.”

Wheeler vowed to send Maidstone out on the front foot but would the manager be more comfortable reverting to type?

He said: “It’s hard isn’t it because that’s what’s worked at times so at times, yes, preferable.

“But at the same time we look at certain games we’ve taken to teams, Wrexham and that, and they scored a deflected goal with only their third shot of the game in the 81st minute and they were top of the league.

“It’s a real fine balancing act. We need to be more solid, we need to be stronger and we need to be better and that’s going to have to happen no doubt at Dover on Boxing Day.”

Read the match report from Maidstone's 3-2 defeat by Gateshead