Match Report | Gateshead upset York to climb out of relegation zone

Gateshead secured a huge three points in their battle for survival as they defeated high-flying York City 3-1 at the International Stadium.

Keaton Ward netted Gateshead’s first just before half-time to round off a half where they defended admirably.

Substitute Ash Boatswain added the second, before Louis Storey wrapped up a memorable night for The Heed, despite Ollie Pearce’s late consolation.

Speaking to SportsByte after the game, Gateshead boss, Rob Elliot said: “I think the lads deserve every credit.

“You can talk about proud, determined, fantastic, excellent.

“Not only to play against, in my opinion, the best team in the league – but I felt we were the better team, genuinely did.

“We know they’re going to have passes to play, they can get crosses in the box. They never really hurt us. We limited them to sort of put in the ball in the box of wide areas and crosses and of course they get opportunities. 
They’ve got top top players.

“I do think they’ll go on to win the league still. However, we can only control what we control and I thought we were superb out of possession and in possession. And I thought we created the better chances and we took them, which was exactly what we need to do against a team like this.

“We stuck to the game plan. The lads to a man were excellent and lads would come and were excellent and we deservedly got the 3 points.”

York had the first chance of the game as the prolific Pearce shot over the bar after Hiram Boateng bested Jacob Butterfield out wide before sliding in his striker.

Greg Olley did manage to find space to deliver a cross on 26 minutes after Ward’s poor clearance fell to his feet and with Stones lurking at the far post waiting to tap home, Radcliffe did well to cut out the danger.

Pearce came close on 34 minutes as Hunt put in a cross from deep and the striker was well-positioned in order to get the first contact but his effort went narrowly wide.

It was Gateshead who took the lead following a Brad Nicholson long throw that York failed to deal with. With a York defender fluffing his clearance, Ward was on hand at the back post to fire home.

The Heed could have doubled their lead soon after. Jacob Butterfield hung a brilliant cross to the back post where Amantchi was charging in. However, he could not connect well enough with his head.

York replied with a header of their own as Josh Stones got on the end of Joe Grey’s cross but his effort landed on the roof of the net.

The Minstermen came out of the break firing, as they launched a barrage onto the home defence with a flurry of chances. Olley failed to connect with a header before Adam Debois was forced into a save, after a number of blocks meant Gateshead had survived the initial attack on their goal.

York continued to search for an equaliser and had two big chances. Firstly, Boateng poked his shot past Desbois on the hour mark but David Ferguson was on hand to clear. Zak Johnson should have levelled after a few minutes later; he was left unmarked on the six-yard box but could not convert his header goalwards.

Yet, it was the hosts who grabbed the all-important next goal as two substitutes, Josh Anifiwose and Boatswain combined to assert their lead. Boatswain stabbed home from Anifiwose’s ball across the box. Assistant manager, Storey, wrapped up the result by firing a header past Harrison Male following Keaton Ward’s superb free-kick.

Pearce grabbed a consolation for the visitors in the second minute of stoppage time as he finished past Debois to add to his impressive goals tally.

Gateshead (3-4-2-1): Desbois; Nicholson, Ferguson, Radcliffe (Storey 69’); Richardson, John, Home (Anifiwose 63’), Ward; Chapman, Butterfield (Boatswain 63’); Amantchi.

Unused Subs: Beck, Chadwick.

York City: Male, Fagan-Walcott, Hunt, Grey (King 72’), Boateng, Olley (Banks 63’), Williams (Brookes 63’), Johnson, Newby, Stones, Pearce.

Unused Subs: Sykes-Kenworthy, Fallowfield, Howe, Batty.