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Wednesday 6th September - Gateshead 5-2 Frickley Athletic

The Blues suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat against an impressive and unbeaten Gateshead on Wednesday night. The home side raced into a 3-0 half time lead although the Blues restricted their chances more in the second half. However, both sides were reduced to 10 men following an altercation between Craig Baxter and Chris Hilton five minutes from time.

Billy Heath was still without the injured Lee Moris and Steve Heath whilst Chris Gowen picked up an ankle injury at work. However, Dean Jones was fit enough to make his first competitive start of the season.

Gateshead stated their intentions almost straight from the kick off with Stephen Salvin sending Graeme Armstrong clear after just 6 minutes but he opted to square the ball to the unmarked David Southern who took to long to shoot allowing Jon Hood to recover brilliantly to block his 8 yard shot on the line. Five minutes later Steve Ball's high cross was cleared off the head of Danny Davidson at the far post by James Curtis. Almost immediately Jamie Harwood headed wide from 10 yards and then Armstrong shot over from 12 yards as the home side kept up the pressure. 

The pressure told on 19 minutes when a corner from the right was flicked on by Curtis for Harwood to head in at the far post. Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Gateshead's free-flowing football saw Harwood cross from the right for Armstrong to head into the top right hand corner. Davidson went close for Frickley five minutes later following a free-kick from Hilton but his shot on the turn from a tight angle was well held by Peter Keen. Danny Walsh then picked out the run of Davidson down the right and he cut inside before firing an angled shot from 18 yards into the side netting. The home side's movement was causing the Blues' continuous problems and they went close again on 34 minutes but Armstrong side-footed his shot over the bar from 15 yards. Three minutes later the Blues were punished again. Dean Jones gave the ball away ion the right full back position and the ball was immediately swing over to the back post where Harwood climbed above Steve Ball to head past Hood. Hood then brilliantly pushed Southern's 25 yard free-kick against the post and then recovered to block the rebound from Armstrong when he looked odds-on to score.

Heath replaced Carl Wood with Adam Pollock at half time with his role to restrict the influence of Salvin in the Gateshead midfield. Within 2 minutes of the restart Chris White's free-kick from the left evaded everyone in a crowded box and Keen reacted quickly to catch the ball on the line. A minute later Armstrong was again clean through and again opted to pass instead of shooting but this time Scot Turner nipped in to intercept the pass and clear the danger. On 58 minutes a well-worked Frickley free-kick saw Nathan Hotte fire in a low 20 yard shot which Keen saved well. Two minutes later Walsh and Davidson worked a 1-2 on the edge of the box for Walsh top burst clear but Keen was out quickly to block his effort. Almost immediately Christopher Hughes broke down the Gateshead left to send over a cross which drifted over Hood and came down off the crossbar and landed at the feet of Salvin who tapped in from almost on the line. The Blues responded on 66 minutes when White sent Davidson clear down the left. He cut inside and sent over an inviting cross for HOTTE to knock in from 8 yards. 

Two minutes later Hilton was harshly adjudged to have brought down Armstrong in the Gateshead box and was booked for his trouble. Harwood stepped up to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot. Turner and Hotte combined on the edge of the Gateshead box for Hotte to shoot just over the bar before Richard Tracey's curling cross fell to White at the far post, 6 yards out, but his shot on the turn was just over the bar.. On 83 minutes Davidson turned and shot straight at Keen from 12 yards but on 85 minutes both sides were reduced to ten men. Hilton took the ball off Baxter mid-way inside the Frickley half and advanced toward the half way line when Baxter felled Hilton from behind. Baxter received a straight red card with Hilton receiving a second yellow. In stoppage time the Blues won a free-kick 25 yards out and DAVIDSON stepped up to fire the ball into the top left hand corner.