Heed hold on to get back to winning ways BARNET 1 GATESHEAD 2
GATESHEAD were bit players the last time they visited The Hive as Barnet clinched the 2014/15 Conference title with a 2-0 win.
This time, the Heed of 2018 took centre stage as they recorded an impressive victory courtesy of a goal in each half from their two strikers.
Scott Boden’s 20th-minute first-time finish gave Gateshead a merited lead at the halfway stage.
Barnet, impressive winners on the road at Hartlepool and Bristol Rovers this week, then roared back to level through Jack Taylor before the hour.
A resilient and typically welldrilled Gateshead weathered the Bees storm for Boro loanee Luke Armstrong to fire home a 77th-minute winner.
It was a sixth away win for Gateshead, who will look for more capital gains at table-topping Leyton Orient next weekend.
It ended a run of four games without a win for the Tynesiders, who climb back into the play-off places.
“We’ve done very well under the circumstances this season,” said Watson. “We played well in the first half and created the only two meaningful chances.
“Barnet were a lot better after the break than they showed in the first half and we knew we’d have a spell on the back foot.
“We defended really well for the main part and the amount of decisions that could have gone either way that didn’t go to us was the only disappointment.
“I knew we’d get another chance in the game, hoped we would take it – and we did.
“The lads did everything I could have asked for. We’ve got a great dressing room, great set of fans, and things are going well at the moment.”
It took Barnet half an hour to register an effort of any sort at goal, Watson naming an attacking line-up with midfielder Luke Molyneux recalled.
The Sunderland loanee’s runs from behind the front two added to the Heed’s potency and the 20-year-old had a pivotal role in Armstrong’s winner.
A great back-post dink from Tom White saw Boden almost give Gateshead the lead with a header that Bees keeper Mark Cousins managed to block.
Greg Olley’s touch had deserted him on a couple of occasions, but it was from the schemer’s superb cross that the Heed forged ahead.
Boden made no mistake at the back post, Charlee Adams’ 22-yard drive narrowly wide Barnet’s first threat on the Gateshead goal.
Aynsley Pears then clawed away an Elliott Johnson cross from under the bar, and it was a different Barnet after the break.
The Londoners forced four corners in the opening five minutes and were level when Taylor found the top corner after good work from Byron Harrison.
The Heed were rocking but they held firm and fashioned a winner 13 minutes from the end of normal time.
Molyneux produced a surging run that saw Scott Barrow pick out Armstrong inside the penaly area.
The front man got the ball out of his feet to side-foot into the far corner – a real poacher’s finish.
Barnet sub Manny Duku headed against the bar late on, but there was to be no denying Watson’s men as they picked up an important win.