A look back at Tuesday’s clash in the National League against Gateshead….
By Matty Paddock - 20/02/2024
Posted 3 months ago
HARRIERS slipped to a 2-0 defeat to a clinical play-off chasing Gateshead side at Aggborough Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Reds were sharp from the off and quickly set about trying to ask questions of a talented visiting side by allowing them little time to settle on the ball.
With just three minutes gone, Ashley Hemmings looked set to trouble goalkeeper James Montgomery but saw his effort from around 18 yards deflected behind for a corner.
Hemmings was involved again on the quarter-hour; after great work from Alex Penny, he drove the ball across goal where Amari Morgan-Smith was hurtling to meet it, but couldn’t quite manage to get meaningful contact on it.
Gateshead tried their luck from distance three minutes later and almost took the lead. A dipping shot bounced wickedly and caught Christian Dibble flush in the face before going on to roll towards goal, clipping the post and resting on the line as the shot-stopper got back to guard it.
One of the best Harriers moves of the game saw Jack Lambert and Hemmings combine with 19 played, the latter moving into space and driving at goal, the effort skewing wide of the post.
Despite working themselves into a good position, it was Gateshead who stole ahead on 30 minutes. Marcus Dinanga was played in, and while Aaron Harper-Bailey did well to get in a block of his effort, the ball skewed off him and towards the target where an opportunistic Whelan was there to finish.
In the second half, Zak Brown’s jinxing run in the area before the hour looked to have unlocked Gateshead, the ball falling to Lambert who shot firmly, that effort also deflected beyond the target.
Frustratingly, the second visitors goal came within a minute or two of that, Jobe given too much space to dash and meet a corner with a well directed header that clipped the woodwork before finding the top corner.
A personal battle between Dinanga and Dibble then ensued, with Dibble coming out on top in at least that regard, twice pulling off point-blank saves to stop the ex-Harriers loanee from finding the net and putting The Heed further ahead.
Brown had the final sight of goal for the hosts on the night, an effort Montgomery gathered up well.
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