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Saturday 18th February - Frickley Athletic  1-2  Gateshead

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On loan striker Peter Duffield scored his first goal for the Blues on his debut but it wasn't enough to prevent Gateshead from running out 2-1 winners at the Millennium Worldwide Stadium this afternoon. Keith Graydon gave the visitors a 25th minute lead before Duffield equalised on 61 minutes only for Kesandu Okike to restore Gateshead's lead two minutes later.

Gary Marrow restored Steve Kennedy, Alex Callery and Rob Pell to the starting line-up after all three were left out for the Sheffield Senior Cup tie against Stocksbridge whilst Calum Selby and Chris Adam were included on the subs bench.

The Blues had a good chance to take the lead with less than 5 minutes on the clock as Simon Collins sent new signing Duffield clear down the right. He took the ball into the box before rolling the ball across the 6 yard box for Alex Callery but he somehow put the ball just the wrong side of the near post. Next Callery sent Lee Pugh clear but his ball into the box was too far in front of Duffield and, although Martyn Woolford met it at the far post he blasted well over the bar from a tight angle. After starting to threaten the Blues' goal Gateshead took the lead on 25 minutes when a quick break down the right saw a good ball sent behind the Blues' defence which both Kennedy and Robinson failed to cut out leaving Keith Graydon to tap in at the far post. However, the Blues should have equalised minutes later when Woolford played the ball to Pell inside the box before taking the return in his stride but he put his first time shot wide of the right hand post from 12 yards. Next, Woolford did well down the left before cutting into the box but his chip across goal was easily collected by Gateshead 'keeper Peter Keen. Minutes later a good move ended with Callery feeding the overlapping Woolford opn the left but his first time angled shot was tipped around the post by Keen at full stretch. This saw the Blues force a series of corners, the second of which fell to Duffield at the back post but his shot on the turn was deflected over the bar.

Early in the second half Callery and Duffield exchanged passes for Callery to advance to the edge of the box before firing in a low shot which Keen comfortably saved. The Blues finally drew level on 61 minutes when Callery won the ball just outside the Gateshead box on the right and played the ball in to DUFFIELD who hit a first time shot from 16 yards which found the bottom right hand corner of the net. Straight from the kick off the Blues' defence nearly gifted a chance to Gateshead as they repeatedly failed to clear a Gateshead attack down their left. Eventually, Gateshead won a corner down that side which was comfortably headed clear. However, Graydon collected the loose ball just outside the box and chipped the ball forward for the unmarked Kesandu Okike to roll the ball past Ingham from a tight angle. Woolford then worked his way into the box from the left but chipped the ball straight into Keen's hands whilst shortly afterwards Woolford sent over a great cross from the left which Duffield met with a header at the near post which looked destined for the net only for Keen to push the ball around the post. As time started to run out Gateshead almost increased their lead when Graydon latched onto a long clearance from Keen but Gary Ingham turned Graydon's 18 yard volley around the post. The Blues' defence then nearly committed suicide as they left Graydon clear with just Ingham to beat but Ingham denied him twice from 6 yards.