White’s winner brings cheer to unhappy Heed
GATESHEAD 2 BARNET 1 SOLACE FOR PLAYERS AFTER FRAUGHT WEEK
GATESHEAD put their problems off the pitch to one side as they came from behind to beat Barnet.
Another turbulent week saw the club put up for sale for just £1 and a winding-up order avoided.
While chaos reigns behind the scenes, rookie manager Ben Clark and his players continue to impress.
Clark has done a sterling job in the most difficult of circumstances and is now unbeaten in his eight games.
The side and substitutes pick themselves with the squad down to just 16 – one that is not lacking in heart.
Second best for the opening 25 minutes, the Heed fell behind before Barnet had to play the second half with 10 men.
Shaquile Coulthirst picked up two needless yellow cards inside the final 10 minutes of the opening half to sting the Bees.
Greg Olley’s leveller came within three minutes of the restart and then fellow schemer Tom White struck a fine 72nd-minute winner.
The victory kept Gateshead in the final play-off spot ahead of trips to fellow promotion chasers Solihull and Sutton.
“We deserved the win in the end, but we’ll not get carried away and will just keep going about our business,” said Clark. “I think it’s the first time we’ve beaten Barnet at home in the Conference and it was another good double.
“We would have got chances had both sides had 11 players, but the sending off definitely helped.
“You need a bit of luck and playing a game of football was a relief after the week we’ve had.
“This is what we’re paid to do. It’s not ideal what’s going on off the pitch, but we try not to let it affect us.
“I’m really pleased with the victory, which is my first at home, and the fans gave us great backing.”
There was an emotional moment in the second half when virtually the whole of the crowd stood up to applaud Clark and the players.
By then, a typically resilient Gateshead had the lead, but they were second best in the opening quarter of the game.
After Steven Rigg headed just wide, Ephron Mason-clark missed a sitter before converting another 10 minutes later. The Heed defence again went AWOL and Mason-clark was not to look another gift horse in the mouth.
Stung into action, the Heed hit their straps, Connor Thomson’s cushioned header putting Rigg in on goal.
His angled shot hit the inside of the far post, the striker unable to sort out his feet as he stabbed the rebound wide.
Coulthirst’s aberration was followed by Olley sliding home Thomson’s low cross for the 48thminute leveller.
The Bees were on the back foot and after surviving a goalmouth scramble, White later found the bottom corner from 18 yards to clinch victory.
Gateshead (5-3-2): Pears 7, Tinkler 8, Devitt 7, Williamson 7, Mellish 7, Barrow 7; White 8 (Maloney 89), Olley 7, Forbes 8 (Hunter 71 7); THOMSON 8, Rigg 7 Subs not used: Foden (gk), O’donnell, Salkeld Goals: Olley (48), White (72) Barnet: 4-2-3-1 Cousins 7; Alexander 6, Reynolds 6, Sweeney 6, JOHNSON 7; Boucad 6 (Charles 77 6), Taylor 6; Mason-clark 6 (Tarpey 83); Elito 5, Sparkes 5; Coulthirst 4. Subs not used: Matrevics, Fongurk, Tutona Goals: Mason-clark (23) Referee: Matt Dicicco (Middlesbrough) Attendance: 665