THE HEED MAKE HAY AGAIN AT YORK ROAD
TWO goals in the first eight minutes of the second half ultimately delivered an emphatic victory for visitors Gateshead, who continue to hold the Indian sign over Maidenhead.
The Heed crushed the Magpies 3-0 at York Road in November, following it up four months later with a 7-1 demolition job at home.
Steve Watson’s men were equally as clinical in this contest, with the Gateshead boss left to reflect on a job very well carried out by his charges.
“The start of the season is very, very important and you know how the summer’s been, you know how young the squad is,” he said.
“It was difficult setting off from Gateshead Stadium at six o’clock in the morning and playing in what must have been close to 100 degrees heat against a team that are at home and dying for a great start.
“It’s a completely different game to last year. Last year, the pitch was very heavy but this time, it was searing heat out there.
“I didn’t set out with a plan at the start of the summer to play the way that we played but it seems to suit the lads.
“It couldn’t be more pleasing. It’s three points and it’s onwards and upwards.”
There was little to separate the teams at the break, apart from Greg Olley’s sensational effort on 16 minutes.
From a corner, Harold Odametey’s diving header seemed to have cleared the danger for the Magpies but Olley, on the edge of the area, artfully lobbed keeper Carl Pentney to open the scoring. It came shortly after Luke Armstrong had broken free to go one on one with Pentney, although this time, the Magpies’ number one saved well to his right. Alan Devonshire’s Magpies showed some uncertainty at the back but going forward, especially down the left flank through Max Worsfield, they provided a real threat. The hosts' Josh Kelly flicked the ball goalwards in the area, only for the hand of Fraser Kerr to block the ball, and appeals for a penalty to be ignored by the referee. It was 2-0 on 47 minutes when a corner delivered to the far post was eventually scrambled in from close range by Scott Boden. On 53 minutes, the points were effectively wrapped up when the predatory Armstrong pinched the ball off centre-back Ayo Obileye as he tried to create some space for himself before running 20 yards to slot the ball under the advancing Pentney. The Magpies finally broke their duck in the second minute of time added-on when, from a Dave Comley corner – their seventh – the ball rebounded off the backside of Kerr and into his own net.