GATESHEAD V LINCOLN CITY

FA Trophy - Second Round 

Today A Good Cup Run makes a swift return to the International Stadium where three weeks ago, in the first round, Gateshead made hard work of beating lower league King’s Lynn. Today the task is as hard as it could be, as visitors Lincoln City sit top of the non-league pyramid and are on a high after recent heroics in the FA Cup. Mitigating factors for Gateshead are their own current run of good form – unbeaten since King’s Lynn, including a win over high flying Barrow – and their opponent’s possible lack of focus ahead of their scheduled midweek televised replay against Ipswich.

Weather conditions are sunny, still, but cold; an early morning inspection needed to confirm the pitch as playable. At kick off the visiting fans (only a fraction of the numbers that went to Suffolk) have the advantage of sitting in the sunshine on the far side of the stadium, while the home fans huddle in their familiar gloom of the main stand. Both sets stand to provide a minute’s applause in memory of Graham Taylor who apparently was involved with Lincoln early in his career.

A lively start shows both teams have pace up front, with runs from Ward on Lincoln’s right and Bell on Gateshead’s left. But on four minutes it is from Gateshead’s right that danger comes. Luke Hannant crosses and Jordan Burrow takes the ball in his stride and hammers home from six yards to give the home team the lead.

Lincoln’s immediate response is for Ward and Long to combine and produce a dangerous cross that Gateshead keeper Dan Hanford goes full length to push out; the ball comes to Elliot Whitehouse but his shot is high over the bar. A Lincoln free kick provides the next opportunity but left back Sam Habergham’s strike is easily taken by Hanford. The keeper is given more practice by Adam Marriot who shoots from distance straight at him.

Meanwhile Gateshead do occasionally get beyond the Lincoln back four, but without creating chances. In fact it is a free flowing positive game with both teams going forward at every opportunity. As half time approaches, beefy Gateshead midfielder Gus Mafuta wins a tackle deep in the Lincoln half, advances a pace or two, then unleashes a fierce shot that forces Paul Farman to make a good save low down to his right. However Lincoln have the last attempt of the half; this time it is Alan Power’s turn to direct a shot straight at Hanford.

The second half opens with an early thrust from Gateshead, Hannant capping a fine diagonal run with a shot that to the near post that fails to catch out Farman. However Lincoln then take control. A Gateshead foul concedes a free kick just outside the box; its central position makes the placing of the wall tricky, and Habergham takes advantage by sidefooting the ball past it and into an unguarded corner of the net.

Lincoln now have momentum and Terry Hawkridge is prominent in a couple of attacks. First he clips a shot wide, then gets to the by-line on the left but pulls the ball back so far it sets up a Gateshead counter attack.

With twenty minutes to go the PA announces that in the event of scores remaining level to the end there will be extra time and, if needed, penalty kicks. Right on cue Lincoln take a corner and as the ball bobbles around the six yard box it is Whitehouse who gets a decisive foot in to poke the ball over the line. Now ahead, the confidence is flowing for Lincoln and just four minutes later Hawkridge picks up the ball inside the Gateshead half, sails past three defenders into the box and knocks the ball past the helpless Hanford and into the net. Three one looks decisive.

A rash of substitutions ensues as Gateshead look for fresh impetus and Lincoln look to save legs for midweek. Gateshead’s new man Toby Ajala is quickly into the action with a run down the right but his good cross is headed wide.

Into the last ten minutes Gateshead press hard and for the first time in the half gain a territorial advantage. In the aftermath of a free kick Burrow connects well with a volley but the ball cannons off a defender’s back and goes for a corner. Another free kick into the box sees Burrow rise and power a downward header that looks goalbound until Farman intervenes at the foot of the post with an excellent save.

With a two goal cushion Lincoln can avoid panicking under this late pressure, and with the help of some shenanigans around the corner flags are able to see out even the added five minutes without further incident.

The visitors, today playing in Lincoln green, end the match appropriately enough as merry men and will be in good heart for their big game midweek knowing, even if they lose that one, the Trophy route to Wembley (the more realistic) remains open.

As for Gateshead, their cup run is over for this season, as are my trips up the A1 to the International Stadium.

SHILDON V ATHERTON COLLIERIES

FA Vase 4^rd Round

The fourth round of the Vase is the last to be regionally based and Shildon have avoided fellow Northern League giants South Shields and Morpeth (who play each other) and instead face the last remaining North West Counties club, Atherton Collieries. The weather at Dean Street is still, grey and cool; there is a decent home crowd and more than a smattering of visitors from Lancashire. The latter are good-naturedly vocal with several sporting bright green wigs to match their team’s away strip. The normal black and white stripes would hardly have clashed with Shildon’s red but such is the way of the football world.

Shildon settle into an early rhythm. Anthony Bell’s toe-poke is blocked then Michael Rae heads wide from a free kick. Rae’s next header, back across the goal, beats the keeper but the Atherton defenders are quickest to react and the danger is cleared.

It is not all one-way. Atherton are effective on the break, twice Mark Truffas is the man over on the right but both times he screws his shot across goal and wide. Shildon respond with centre forward Amur Purewal flicking on a header to put Rae clear, but he is caught and crowded out before he can shoot.

The exchanges continue as Atherton right back Jake Kenny cleverly escapes from the corner flag and delivers a cross that rolls unmolested across the six yard box. A Shildon corner is won in the air by Moore and the ball falls to Rae, but his close range shot is smothered at the post by keeper Adam Reid. Rae’s next attempt is from further out, cutting in from the left his right foot curler clears the far angle with Reid this time a relieved spectator. The half closes with Atherton centre forward Mark Battersby getting in a scuffed shot that involves Nick Liversedge in the Shildon goal for the first time as he kneels to gather.

Atherton start the second half on the front foot with Battersby finding some wriggle room but shooting wide. Minutes later he runs onto a through ball up the middle and despite being under pressure lifts the ball over Liversedge towards the goal; it hits the bar and bounces the wrong side of the line and the follow up shot is straight at the keeper.

It’s a let off for Shildon but they immediately win a corner and set up camp outside the Atherton box. Lewis Wing slides a pass into Purewal whose left foot strike beats Reid, clipping the near post on the way into the net.

The goal may reflect the first half balance of play, but not the second so far. Within minutes a hopeful Atherton punt upfield bounces just outside the Shildon box. Liversedge decides to take responsibility and tries to head clear; but it is more up than out, and as it comes down to Ben Hardcastle he hooks a volley over the stranded keeper and into the vacant goal.

The goal gives the visitors a boost and three minutes later Battersby is first to a cross from the left, and he deftly glances a header home to give Atherton the lead. Shildon struggle to regain control but make no impact in the next ten minutes, in fact it is Liversedge who has to make the next save, diving to smother a break at the expense of a corner. When that comes over a few heads go up, the ball loops up and drops what seems harmlessly in range for Liversedge, but inexplicably both he and the defender on the post remains rooted and the ball finds a way over the line.

At 1-3 the home team are in unexpected trouble; the front two are substituted and then a third forward is put on as they go long and direct. Atherton makes changes too, and with Shildon pushing forward it is substitute Jordan Cover, on for Battersby, who races onto a through ball and gets in a shot from outside the box. It’s not unstoppable but Liversedge caps a poor match by letting it under his body and into the net.

Now 1-4 down with minutes to go Shildon keep plugging away but the game is lost, the victory going not to the team that played the better football but to the one that made fewer mistakes. Such is cup football sometimes.

The North West Counties League’s sole representative is through to the last sixteen of the Vase, and the Northern League have lost one of their two best hopes.