Aldershot Town will be making the long trip back south with a point in the bag after a 2-2 draw with Gateshead at the Gateshead International Stadium, becoming just the second side to take points off of Gateshead at their home this season.
The Shots were backed by an outstanding 113 supporters making the 610 mile round trip from the EBB Stadium and huge credit must go to them for continuing to back the Shots and help push the side towards a hard-earned point.
Former Shot Robbie Tinkler came very close to scoring a stunning opener for his current side in just the fifth minute as his effort from 30-yards out dipped late and rattled the crossbar. Gateshead regained possession and forced Marcus Dewhurst to make a save to deny Tyrelle Newton.
The Shots were forced to rely on counter-attacks in the opening 10 minutes as Gateshead looked to dominate possession and had their first chance of the game in the ninth minute as Josh Barrett sent Jack Barham down the right but his return ball to Barrett was fired wide.
Just two minutes later, Barham assisted Barrett as the Shots took the lead. James Henry played a fantastic through ball to Barham who beat the offside trap and squared it across Gateshead ‘keeper Owen Mason for Barrett to finish into an empty net.
The lead lasted just eight minutes, however, as Gateshead equalised through top scorer Owen Oseni. Brandon Haunstrup delivered a cross from the left and Oseni rose highest at the back-post to powerfully head in.
Jacob Butterfield forced Dewhurst into a save with an effort from 25-yards out before Christian Maghoma headed a Barrett corner wide a minute later as both sides exchanged chances but more clever link up play on the counter between Barham, Barrett and Henry in the 28th minute should have seen the Shots regain the lead as Barham headed just wide from Barrett’s dinked cross.
Six minutes later, though, the hosts took the lead. Butterfield showed good feet on the edge of the Shots box to beat two defenders and get a shot away that Dewhurs could only parry into the path of Callum Whelan to score.
And they should have extended their lead just two minutes later as a clever short corner between Butterfield and Whelan found Kain Adom in the middle who could only fire well over the bar from within the six-yard box.
Theo Widdrington fired an effort from outside the box wide just before half-time in the last chance of the half as the Shots went into the break behind.
HALF-TIME
In a similar tale to the first-half’s opening exchanges, Gateshead were happy to attempt to control possession but the Shots were able to strike first as Jack Barham drew the scores level in the 57th minute.
Dejan Tetek played a fabulous ball out to the right-wing for Ashley Akpan to deliver first-time into the box. James Henry forced a save from Owen Mason but it fell kindly for Barham to smash the ball home.
Owen Oseni was Gateshead’s dangerman and came close to scoring a second in the 67th minute as he fired across goal after being found by Whelan.
The second-half saw a lot less action at either goal than the first 45, it took until past the 80th minute for any chances of note as Gateshead saw a half-chance claim a save out of Dewhurst in the 83rd.
The Shots came closer just three minutes later as a long Ryan Jones throw from the right was headed on by Rollin Menayese for Maxwell Mullins to force a smart stop from Mason to deny a late winner.
Christian Maghoma also became the hero for Aldershot as he rattled the post in the third minute of stoppage time from a deep Ryan Jones free-kick, but the Assistant Referee’s flag was raised for offside, regardless.
And so the Referee blew for full-time with the game still level as the Shots secured a hard-earned point away from home, becoming just the second team to take points off of Gateshead at their home so far this season.
Attendance: 1332 (113 Away)
Shots lineup: 28. Marcus Dewhurst, 5. Christian Maghoma, 6. Theo Widdrington (C) (24. Maxwell Mullins, 81′), 10. Josh Barrett (23. Hady Ghandour, 70′), 11. Ryan Jones, 18. Olly Scott, 21. Ashley Akpan, 22. Jack Barham, 25. Rollin Menayese, 27. James Henry (8. Tyler Frost, 68′), 34. Dejan Tetek (7. Cameron Hargreaves, 65′).
Unused subs: 16. Pat Nash, 2. Lachlan Byrd, 9. Kai Corbett
Gateshead lineup: 29. Owen Mason, 2. Robbie Tinkler, 3. Brandon Haunstrup (14. Jean Belehouan, 46′), 4. Jacob Butterfield (45. Jovan Malcolm, 81′), 8. Regan Booty, 9. Owen Oseni, 10. Callum Whelan, 11. Ben Worman, 12. Kain Adom (28. Josh Williams, 65’), 16. Ben Radcliffe, 23. Tyrelle Newton.
Unused subs: 30. Ollie Basey, 27. Josh Home, 39. Oli Thompson, 46. Dan Jones.
