Match Report: Gateshead 0 – 4 AFC Fylde

League strugglers AFC Fylde rallied together to win four goals to the good against a Gateshead side that were wasteful in possession.

The first half started with Fylde in complete control, in the fourth minute a Nick Haughton free kick was well struck into the top right corner to put the visitors in front. 

Fylde then added to their lead via a Haughton penalty in the eighth minute, making the league strugglers two goals to the good heading into the interval.

Then the Coasters, despite Gateshead dominating for long spells of the match, Scored two quickfire goals via Siya Legendza and Jon Ustabasi in injury time to claim the 3 points.

The match marked interim manager Rob Elliot’s first home game for the Tynesiders. Gateshead were without midfielder Ed Francis due to suspension and Callum Whelan made his first start since opening day, against a struggling Fylde who were languishing in the relegation zone. 

Despite this Fylde started the first half strong, within the first minute Josh Kay drove into the Gateshead box and laid it off to Danny Whitehead who failed to keep his shot down.

However in the third minute Louis Storey brought down an forward pressing Connor Barrett to give Fylde a free kick on the edge of the box. Haughton stepped up to take it and fired a shot that dipped over the wall and found its way into the top right corner, catching keeper Archie Mair rooted on his line.

In the eighth minute things went from bad to worse for The Tynesiders as a shot from Ustabasi inside the box struck the hand of Storey, awarding the visitors a penalty. Haughton placed himself on the scoresheet once more as he neatly tucked his penalty down the middle.

Following Fylde’s double salvo the visitors succeeded in catching Gateshead on the ball, frequently intercepting passes and providing dangerous counters. 

In the 12th minute Ustabasi dispossessed a Gateshead player and layed it to Kay who unleashes a strike that whistled past the post.

With Gateshead beginning to apply pressure Luke Hannant on the left hand side of the box layed it to Stepehen Wearne whose shot was caught well by the keeper Theo Richardson.

The next close chance came in the 41st minute as Hannant’s strike rippled against the side netting from a Kyran Lofthouse cross on the byline.

Gateshead, applying pressure, had another close chance to close the gap as a 43rd minute corner found its way to Kenton Richardson whose 27-yard strike was parried by T. Richardson back into danger however no one was there to capitalise for The Tynesiders.

One of the last kicks of the first half saw Hannant’s curling strike caught at full stretch by T. Richardson who stopped it impressively from going into the top corner.

The second half started as the first half had ended as Gateshead continued to look like the most likely team to score.

In the second minute of the second half a Lofthouse cross once more from the byline found its way to Wearne whose shot was well stopped by T. Richardson.

Things would die down slightly for both sides until in the 63rd minute, as Connor McBride (who came on replacing Whelan) found himself with only the keeper to beat following a Storey through ball, however Robinson made himself big to deny the Scottish midfielder.

In the 71st minute Wearne’s header glanced off the crossbar following a great cross from Greg Olley.

Fylde in the 73rd minute had a chance to increase their lead as Ligendza was through on goal, but was tackled by Storey who did well to recover.

Then again, in the 75th minute Legendza had yet another chance to make it three as he twisted and turned into the box and unleashed a low driving shot that was parried back into the box by Mair however the Scotsman blocked the follow through to give Gateshead a lifeline.

In the 87th minute Fylde manager Chris Beech saw red for dissent following a foul call by the referee.

Despite this Fylde managed to use their new found space as Gateshead tried hard to carve a chance.

In the 95th minute after Fylde kept the ball in the corner Legendza caught the Gateshead defence off guard as he stormed into the left side of the box and curled in a good effort to place them three goals ahead. 

Fylde didn’t stop there, finding a fourth only a minute later when Ustabasi found himself in acres of space on the counter and slotted past Mair one on one, as the ball hit the back of the net the referee blew his whistle.