BODEN THE HEED HERO WITH LATE SPOT KICK

GATESHEAD have specialised in late goals this season, for and against, and they came up with another to sink managerless Maidstone.

Despite being on the back foot for virtually the whole game, the Stones looked to have earned a battling point until the Heed scored at the death.

Scott Boden had missed an early penalty, but the experienced striker sent Lee Worgan the wrong way with an 88th-minute spot kick.

The stats backed up the Heed’s claim for all three points and a first clean sheet, 14-4 on attempts at goal and a corner count of 14-1.

Maidstone created very little and slipped to a third straight defeat, both sides ending with ten men after a double sending off after the penalty award.

“I would have been very disappointed if the game had finished 0-0,” said manager Steve Watson.

“We did a lot of things right today. We got in and around their box so many times and tested their keeper a lot of times in the first half.

“The concentration of the players at the back and the goalkeeper were excellent and as pleasing with the three points was the clean sheet. I was disappointed for Boden with the first penalty, but he was confident enough to take another one and put the second penalty away.”

Gateshead should have benefited from the award of ninth-minute penalty after Michee Efete brought down O’Donnell in the box. With top scorer Luke Armstrong sidelined through injury, Boden assumed responsibilities. A weak kick was easily held by Worgan, who was by far the busier of the keepers. It was a let-off for the Kent outfit, Worgan then blocking a Steven Rigg shot from inside the box, having denied the striker earlier. A fortunate ricochet allowed Blair to find George McLennan on the left, the midfielder’s angled drive straight at Aynsley Pears. Gateshead generally had the upper hand, Michael Phillips’ misplaced back-pass seeing Boden’s angled drive tipped over. Despite playing two up front, Maidstone rarely threatened and the second half was more of the same. Fraser Kerr missed O'Donnell’s nearpost corner when any contact would have brought a goal. Maidstone then broke three on one but were unable to capitalise. A foul on Rigg by Will De Haviland gave Boden the chance for redemption that he took, Blair Turgott and O'Donnell sent off in the aftermath. “We are playing as individuals at minute,” said Stones interim manager Watt. “The players have lost a lot of confidence.”