Late hammer blow as Heed sunk at Fylde

ACE marksman Danny Rowe denied Gateshead a draw in their six-pointer at AFC Fylde with a last-gasp goal.

The Heed had been good value for a point at Mill Farm but came away with nothing after Rowe pounced in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Until then Gateshead had been on course for a fifth consecutive clean sheet and a share of the spoils against a side level on points with them in the National League Premier Division.

But it was Fylde, draw specialists at home, who nicked it when Rowe converted Zaine Francis-Angol’s cross at the death.

The defeat was hard to take for Steve Watson’s side, who face another big game at second-top Wrexham on Saturday.

The Red Dragons beat 10-man Hartlepool 1-0 last night and will be looking to record a quickfire North East double.

Gateshead’s top scorer Scott Boden, signed from Wrexham, believes his side were hard done by at Fylde.

Boden told the Chronicle: “It is never nice to lose in the last minute, but it is what it is and we have to go again.

“It was one of those games where both teams had a couple of sniffs, but it just wasn’t to be for us.

“If we had gone and won the game we would have been delighted, and the Wrexham game is now massive.

“The performance wasn’t that bad, and to come here and be goalless in the 93rd minute we should have got a point.”

On-loan Middlesbrough striker Luke Armstrong made his first appearance for two months following a hamstring injury.

It was from an Armstrong cross that Gateshead came closest to scoring in normal time when Steven Rigg flicked against the bar.

Jack Hunter had a chance to score his first Heed goal after the break, but was denied by a reaction save from Coasters keeper Jay Lynch.

Gateshead keeper Aynsley Pears made a number of saves at the other end but was powerless to stop Rowe’s winner.

It was a cruel blow, but one the Heed will have to bounce back from with difficult away trips at Wrexham and Rochdale to come.