HEED HURT BY LATE COASTERS ASSAULT
PROMOTION-CHASERS AFC Fylde ended Gateshead’s five-game unbeaten run with a crucial victory, their three shots on target all finding the net.
Nathan Shaw broke the deadlock midway through the second half, late Nick Haughton and Sam Osborne goals adding gloss to the final score.
Delighted Fylde boss Jim Bentley said: “It’s a big win for us, this is a difficult place to come. Gateshead are a good side with some good talent. We worked on some things to get on top of their strengths and we knew we had enough in our locker to create and score goals.
“We got the all-important first goal and fed on that momentum to get a couple more. We go to leaders Brackley next and look forward to that challenge.”
It was the Coasters who had the first sight on goal as Shaw picked up the ball inside his own half before going on a remarkable twisting run as he beat three Gateshead defenders before firing inches wide.
Owen Bailey very nearly gave the Heed the lead on the stroke of half-time as Carl Magnay knocked the ball to him 20 yards out, but he shot wide.
Heed hitman Macaulay Langstaff had earlier had an effort chalked off for offside in a tight opening 45 minutes, Cedwyn Scott’s header then forcing Jamie Stott to clear off the line.
It was Fylde, however, who broke the deadlock after substitute Osborne cut his way inside the Gateshead defence before squaring the ball across the box where Shaw simply couldn’t miss.
The hosts were piling the pressure on as the minutes ticked away and had a golden chance to equalise when Greg Olley whipped a cross directly onto Bailey’s head but the midfielder couldn’t find the power to beat Chris Neal.
The result was sealed as the game entered the last ten minutes when Haughton picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and found the bottom corner, leaving debutant on-loan Aston Villa keeper Filip Marschall with no chance.
Haughton invariably scores against Gateshead and two became three in added time when Osborne carved out a yard of space before his deflected strike found the back of the net.
Gateshead player-manager Mike Williamson felt the scoreline flattered the visitors: “I don’t think the performance reflected a 3-0 defeat but when you play a team like Fylde, they’ll punish any lack of concentration.
“The lads were brilliant in terms of effort but we fell up short with our quality levels.”
GATESHEAD: (4-3-3); Marschall 6, Tinkler 5, Nicholson 5, Storey 5, Magnay 5, Bailey 6, Olley 6, Hunter 6 (Charters, 45 5), Campbell 5 (Greenfield, 83), Scott 6, Langstaff 7 Subs not used: Williamson, Pani, Jacob AFC FYLDE: (4-4-2): (4-3-3); Neal 6, Pike 7, Davis 7, Stott 6, Conlan 6, Joyce 6 (Osborne, 65 8), Philliskirk 7, Whitehead 7, Shaw 9, Haughton 8 (Perkins, 91), Walker 6 (Slew, 65 6) Subs not used: Jones, Obi STAR MAN: Nathan Shaw (AFC Fylde) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★