BLUES LET IT SLIP AS BURROW BURIES ‘EM
GATESHEAD enhanced their play-off aspirations with a thoroughly deserved win against a disjointed Chester outfit, who have now lost their last trio of League outings.
After Blaine Hudson had registered the opening goal of the match for the home side just after the half-hour mark, Chester inexplicably appeared to capitulate and allow the Heed into the game as confidence visibly drained from the home team’s players.
Danny Johnson and Jordan Burrow registered goals either side of half-time, with the only conundrum being why Gateshead didn’t win the contest by a greater margin.
Tactically, Gateshead were the far superior side in the second half, dominating in midfield and easily mopping up any rare attacks that the home side did muster.
Both managers agreed the visitors got their reward. Gateshead boss Neil Aspin reflecting: ‘It will be a happy journey back home. It was an important win. We can now make a push up the table.
“In the first 30 minutes we didn’t do well, but in the second half we totally dominated. We had to be brave and get on the ball quicker, which is what we did – particularly in the second half.
“They caused us a few problems in the first half, but then we were rarely troubled in the second.’
Chester manager Jon McCarthy said: “We started well and could have had something prior to the goal that we did score. I won’t criticise my players, but we will look at the video and evaluate where it went wrong.”
Asked if Chester’s chance of a play-off place was now over, McCarthy said: “I have never said we were in the play-off race, we will now evaluate and go forward at Maidstone next Saturday.” If Chester can take any positives it was their performance in the opening half hour or so, where Tom Shaw, on two occasions, went narrowly wide with efforts, the best coming on eleven minutes, which forced James Montgomery into an excellent save. The deadlock was broken after 32 minutes when Hudson hammered the ball home from ten yards, after the visitors’ defence hadn’t dealt with a cross from the left. Dreadful Chester marking led to the equaliser, with Ryan Astles and Evan Horwood giving Danny Johnson too much room, the striker bursting into the box and hammering home. The visitors took the lead after 63 minutes, a high ball into the chest area should have been cleared by Horwood, but he headed straight into the path of Jordan Burrow, who had a relatively simple job to score.