Gateshead end the unbeaten streak (From Worcester News)

Gateshead end the unbeaten streak

11:55am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Reports

Gateshead 2
Harriers 1

TEN-man Harriers surrendered their 11-match unbeaten run despite a late comeback as they were defeated at Gateshead’s International Athletics Stadium on Tuesday night.

Micky Cummins fired the home side ahead midway through the first-half before Yemi Odubade doubled the advantage soon after the break.

Steve Burr’s side then had Luke Jones sent off for a professional foul — Jon Shaw squandered the resultant penalty — before the visitors were awarded a spot-kick of their own that Nick Wright duly converted.

It was not enough to spark a complete turnaround though as Harriers succumbed to their first league defeat since the set-back at Barrow back in October.

Prior to the game there was a blow for Harriers with the news that midfield man James Vincent was to miss the game with a knee injury and replaced by new boy Daniel Bradley for his full debut.

It took a cagey first 19 minutes for the game to get its first action and it came as Jamille Matt chased down goalkeeper Tim Deasy; the ball breaking to the in-form front man who nudged it through to Kyle Storer who could only curl his shot around the upright.

Five minutes later the opening goal arrived at the other end as a fizzed corner kick was met by Cummins who headed home from 10 yards past Tony Breeden.

Harriers tried to respond as Bradley chanced his arm with a couple of efforts from distance but Breeden remained the busier of the two custodians, keeping out a good effort from from Odubade as Ian Bogie’s men ended the first period well on top.

Gateshead maintained their momentum in the second-half and barely a couple of minutes had passed when Odubade fired home from an angle.

In truth there only looked to be one likely winner at that stage as the hosts pushed, largely through Odubade and top-scorer Shaw, to add to their advantage.

The big opportunity to do that came on 73 minutes when Jones was dismissed for bringing down Odubade in the area but Breeden thwarted Shaw from the spot by turning his effort on to a post.

Seven minutes later Wright’s own penalty, coolly converted after Deasy tripped Matt on his way to goal, ensured Harriers gave it a real push in the final minutes but the defeat eventually came and, according to assistant boss Gary Whild, deservedly so.

“I have no arguments with the defeat because we were flat from the start and 2-1 probably flattered us a bit really,” he said.

“We huffed and puffed a bit late on but never really got into our stride at all.”

Gateshead: Deasy, Rents, Curtis, Clark, Turnbull, Shaw, Odubade (Brittain 85), Cummins (Odhiambo 90), Baxter, Gillies (Marwood 45), Moore. Subs not used: Carruthers, Wilson.

Harriers: Breeden, Vaughan, Jones, Hankin (Wright 54), Sharpe, Gittings (Guinan 54), Matt, Demetriou, Storer, Bradley (Byrne 71), Hendrie. Subs not used: Williams, Lyness.

Referee: Darren Handley (Bolton).

Attendance: 724 (49)