The fog hinders Harriers winning run

The Harriers returned from fogbound York with their first defeat in seven games, and only the third defeat in nineteen, tonight with this defeat at the hands of relegation threatened Gateshead.  The game was played at Yorks' Bootham Crescent ground due to the problems that Gateshead have been having with the pitch at their International Stadium home.

Twenty minutes before the game started the fog began to come down and it looked to be in doubt but with everyone expecting the referee to call a halt in the early stages the fog didn't worsen.

The Harriers made a few changes to the side that beat Ebbsfleet on Saturday with Callum Gittings on in place of Keith Briggs while Danny Jackman returned to the bench following a slight injury as was Danny Pilkington.  Also on the bench was new signing Michael Gash, just arrived from Cambridge Utd on loan until the end of the season.

With visibility poor for both sides it was never going to be a classic game and so it proved.  Marvin Johnson sent a chance wide in the early stages while James Vincent tried to round the former Harriers keeper, Adam Bartlett, but found Bartlett quick to react and he easily put him off.

Gateshead were also getting chances of their own and slowly began to take charge of the game.  The Heed defender, Carl Magnay, sent a header goalbound but Danny Lewis in goal for the Reds tipped it over the bar.  Other chances came their way with Jamie Chandler and James Brown both seeing attempts missed.

The only real chance of the half that came our way was when top scorer Anthony Malbon directed his header over the bar from a Lee Vaughan cross.

The Harriers started the second half with a substitution.  Greg Pearson made way for debutant Michael Gash and then soon after Danny Jackman arrived in place of Callum Gittings as the Harriers manager, Steve Burr, tried to inject some life into a tired looking Harriers.

Even taking into account the changes it was still Gateshead that ruled the game.  A free kick was awarded to Gateshead and played to Chandler but, even though his close range shot beat Danny Lewis, Mickey Demetriou was right there on the line to prevent it from going in.

With over sixty minutes gone the Harriers had looked no nearer making a breakthrough until a rare spell of pressure from us saw Lee Vaughan try his luck from outside the area but Bartlett got down well to it and the chance was gone.  Twenty minutes from the end and the points were North East bound.

James Marwood collected the ball on the break following an attempt on goal from us. He ran almost the length of the pitch unhindered before playing in Chandler to round our defence and send the ball home for the opening goal.

The Harriers tried to respond but Lady Luck had deserted us tonight and any half chances were going begging.  With the Harriers flinging everything they could at the Heed goal they found themselves caught out by the last minute sucker punch.

Substitute Liam Hatch, on for James Brown, broke for goal on the counter attack again and made sure of the points when he slotted the ball beyond the reach of Lewis.

It was always going to be a hard ask and made even more so in the fog.  Conditions not really conducive to good football but we had to lose at some stage.

Other teams around us at the top of the table won their games but one result in particular will have a bearing this Saturday coming.  Grimsby won at FGR to temporarily push them out of the promotion race and it's Grimsby we meet up with next.

We'll need to be a lot more focussed for that game than we were tonight if we have any pretensions of promotion.  It's going to be a big, big game with a lot at stake.

Bouncebackability is needed.

 Goals for Gateshead: Chandler 71, Hatch 90

REFEREE:

Mr D Ford Lincolnshire