Venue: Gateshead International Stadium
Tuesday, 4th April, 7:45pm kick-off
Attendance: 959 (141 away)
Pitch: A bit bare in places, but not bad for athletics pitch.
Conditions: Dry and not that cold.
Scorers: Dinanga 19, 27, Pani 55, Bailey 88
Bookings: None
Referee: Aaron Jackson
Yeovil Town (4-3-3)
Substitutes: Malachi Linton (for Jack Clarke, 63), Ryan Law, Chiori Johnson, Jordan Maguire-Drew (for Charlie Cooper, 56), Zanda Siziba (for Max Hunt 58).
Gateshead: Marshall, Tinkler, Storey, Pye, Pani, Wearne (for Ward, 71), Francis, Whelan, Olley,(for Conteh, 64) Campbell, Dinangna Substitutes: Montgomery, Bailey, Martin
Match Report
In what was absolutely a must-win game against relegation rivals, Yeovil Town were hammered 4-0 by Gateshead this evening. The Glovers are 5 points adrift ahead of a trip to 20th-placed Aldershot on Good Friday.
Here’s how it unfolded in front of Coatesie.
First half
After a quiet opening six minutes, a good move down the right side by Scott Pollock caused a moment of panic but it came to nothing more than a corner.
Two minutes later it was a misjudged header from Pollock which almost let the home side carving out a chance. As ever it was Grant Smith who got the block in to nullify the danger.
Jordan Young lifted an effort just over the bar after good play down the right from Bevan, before the best chance of the game of the game came fell to the home side. A mistake by Bevan saw Marcus Dinanga lifted the ball over onrushing Smith and and Campbell headed it goalwards, only for Max Hunt to head off the line.
If that was a warning, it only took until 19th minute for the warning to become a mortal blow. DINANGA broke the offside trap and lashed it in from the angle off the underside of the bar and past Smith. Sloppy defending again punished by a striker willing have a shot. Not rocket science. 1-0
Eight minutes later and it was 2-0 and effectively game over – obviously not, but as a contest. A superb ball by Greg Olley was met by the header of DINANGA. 2-0.
On 30 minutes it could so easily have been three. You guessed it, another mistake saw a ball to the back post fall to Campbell whose effort was blocked by Smith.
The mood in the away end turned. What had been relatively supportive and noisy, fell angry and muted. Such little movement and attacking intent was on display.
Even when we did get forward, the mistakes were everywhere. A rate forward press saw the ball break to Bevan but his effort ran out of play – on the other side of the pitch. Then an error in the Gateshead back line was seized on by Charlie Cooper, but his pass to Young was overhit.
“Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be, we’re going to Bath City,” sang the away support. It only got more toxic when the half-time whistle blew.
Half time: Gateshead 2 Yeovil Town 0
Second Half
The players were sent out early for the second half and whatever was said at least seemed to create some spark. Well, a deflected shot from Cooper which went wide for a corner.
On 52 minutes, an aimless ball forward to Andrew Oluwabori broke down and the home side attacked down right and drilled a low cross in which was crying out for a Campbell to turn it in at the back post. Inexplicably he put it wide.
But third goal was not far away and it came in some style. Connor PANI simply looked up from 25 yards out and hit a thunderous effort past Smith.
That was enough for the away end to turn on the manager. Very audible chants of “We want Cooper Out” were heard. The manager was unmoved with Chris Todd directing affairs on the the touchline.
Whoever was making the changes, they made three of them. Maguire-Drew replaced the injured Cooper, Zanda Siziba was on for Hunt and Malachi Linton was on for Jack Clarke.
The difference was….minimal, I’m being generous. Pollock dragged an effort wide after 65 minutes and on 76 minutes Siziba jinked in to the box and hit one over the bar.
Probably the biggest insult was that Gateshead, a relegation rival (albeit in decent form), genuinely took the mick out of us as the game dragged on. Dinanga had the ball in the net only to be denied his hat-trick by the offside flag, and then he played one twos inside the box with Campbell.
The final (of many insults) came with 86 minutes gone. BAILEY, on as a substitute a minute earlier, poked home a fourth goal.
If I have seen a worse performance from a Yeovil Town side than this, I can’t recall it. Devoid of everything. Effort. Talent. Confidence. A bleak night.
Southend?????
Ryan law left of a front 3 ?♀️, it worked before.