Aldershot Town further separated themselves from those below them as they defeated ten-man Gateshead 3-1 at the EBB Stadium in trying circumstances.
Despite trailing in the opening few minutes, goals from Josh Barrett, Ryan Jones and Jack Barham saw the Shots come out victorious in a heavily delayed tie that commanded a combined over 40 minutes of stoppage time.
Tommy Widdrington made just one change to the eleven that started Tuesday’s draw versus Dagenham & Redbridge, Dan Ellison coming in at the back for the injured Christian Maghoma.
The away side made their superior league position known from the off, as within the first three minutes, Liam Humbles’ line-splitting pass found Jack Roles on the edge of the box, who fired emphatically to the left of Marcus Dewhurst for 1-0. The Shots with an early deficit to chase.
It would take just as long for Aldershot to reply from the restart. With the March sun shining particularly bright, a high-arching long ball was misjudged by the Gateshead defense. Josh Barrett reacted quickest in behind, calmly slotting home an equaliser during a breathless opening six minutes.
Jack Barham thought he had similarly caught out the Heed’s high line shortly after, a searching ball from Dewhurst found the forward in on goal, only to be denied by a marginal offside.
The game came to a lengthy halt on the seventeen-minute mark due to a medical emergency in the crowd, prompting both teams to eventually return down the tunnel. The EBB crowd were to be commended for their patience and understanding during this period, as the fourth official signaled 31-minutes of stoppage time.
Gateshead continued to impress on the ball, though after an end-to-end start to the match, concrete chances for either side now seemed harder to come by.
Aaron Jones provided a crucial defensive header after a pinpoint cross from Roles look destined to find a fellow attacker. Josh Barrett forged a chance for himself at the other end, meandering through two opponents on the left of the penalty area, the resulting effort blocked.
Marcus Dewhurst received rapturous applause before the break; a defensive mix-up allowed Liam Humbles through on goal, with the Shots’ number 28 confidently saving a one-on-one opportunity against the odds. Tyler Frost contributed similarly shortly after, his last-ditch clearance pivotal in keeping scores level as the visitors truly applied the pressure.
HALF-TIME
Dewhurst was called into action once more, after a loose pass found Jovan Malcolm, whose drive at goal was stopped by the feet of the Aldershot keeper. A counter-attack from the resulting corner saw Jack Barham with room to attack, Gateshead retreated well to ensure only a corner was conceded.
Aldershot would gain the lead for the first time in the game just before the hour mark. A promising break from the hosts saw Theo Widdrington fouled thirty yards from goal, and with incredibly quick thinking, the midfielder played a quick free kick through to Ryan Jones. With the Gateshead back-line caught unawares, Jones had ample time slot high to the right of the keeper to make it 2-1.
Shortly after his important contribution, a seemingly innocuous incident saw Theo Widdrington in considerable discomfort. Clearly unable to continue, he was taken off via stretcher.
Aldershot were handed a significant boost with fifteen minutes to go, as Gateshead went down to ten men. Strong battling from Jack Barham and Tyler Frost saw the latter steal the ball in the attacking third, with Ryan Bartley’s recovery tackle deemed serious foul play. In a game marred by delay, a straight red card meant the defender would be finishing the afternoon early.
The advantage of personnel allowed the Shots to gain a serious foothold on the game. Ryan Jones showed strength and persistence to drive down the left channel, his cross poked on by Maxwell Mullins to find Jack Barham at the back post, who fired the hosts into a 3-1 lead.
Luke Jenkins’ assured tackle prevented a comeback from the Tynesiders, as Aldershot saw out a hard-fought and much needed victory.
Attendance: 2188 (62 Away)
Shots lineup: 28. Marcus Dewhurst, 6. Theo Widdrington (32. Emmanuel Maja 64′), 7. Cameron Hargreaves, 8. Tyler Frost (37. Tariq Uwakwe 90+2), 10. Josh Barrett (24. Maxwell Mullins 71′), 11. Ryan Jones, 17. Aaron Jones (C), 22. Jack Barham, 33. Luca Woodhouse, 35. Dan Ellison (4. Luke Jenkins 71′), 36. Will Armitage.
Subs not used: 1. Jordi van Stappershoef, 9. Kai Corbett, 19. Brad Dolaghan.
Gateshead lineup: 1. Tiernan Brooks, 6. Ryan Bartley (Sent off 74′), 8. Regan Booty, 10. Max Sheaf (27. Tyrell Sellars-Fleming 46′), 11. Ben Worman (14. Jean Belehouan 78′), 15. Liam Humbles, 17. Jack Roles, 19. Luke Hannant, 28. Branden Horton, 45. Jovan Malcolm (39. Oliver Thompson 86′), 46. Daniel Jones (C).
Subs not used: 13. Harrison Bond, 24. Will McGowan, 36. Lucas Lowery, 38. Jamie Bramwell.
