The home side were looking to claim their first home win in the new year as an injury crisis has slowed down their promotion push. Following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Altrincham, they started this tie well. Regan Booty controlled the game in the midfield and January recruit, Callum Tripp used his athleticism to drive from his position in the Heed’s back three and stretch the Sutton defence.
An injury crisis has slowed down their promotion push
January recruit Jack Roles showed early promise, forcing a sixth-minute save from Sutton's Jack Sims. The midfielder's reward came ten minutes later, combining with fellow winter signing Tyrell Sellars-Fleming to slot a calm first goal for the club home. Gateshead continued their dominance with man-of-the-match Jovan Malcom proving a key threat off the left of Sellars-Fleming. Normally deployed as a number nine, manager Carl Magnay told The Courier this new role was “the perfect position” for him.
Man-of-the-match Jovan Malcom proving a key threat off the left
Malcolm worried the Sutton back-line with his quick feet and physical play, getting two shots off from outside the area before getting on the score sheet just after the half-hour mark. Sellars-Fleming drove up the pitch and, after losing possession inside the opposition box, showed his work-rate to win the ball back and play it to Malcolm. The West Brom academy product cut inside and curled it off the post to put the home side into a comfortable lead.
Gateshead saw their already double-digit injury list lengthened when goalkeeper George Shelvey went down with a hamstring injury and was replaced by 21-year-old Bond, Harrison Bond, for his first appearance of the season. The young stopper saw his first action early into added time, holding a low shot from U's striker Lewis Simper.
Sutton’s high press caused problems for the heart rates of the Gateshead faithful but not the Heed players, who either played long to Hull City loanee Sellars-Fleming, or used the experienced duo of Roles and Booty to play around the away press. However, Sutton finally got their dividends for their intensity when Dan Jones threw the ball into Roles in the middle who lost possession. Will Davies played in Simper who put it put it through the legs of the oncoming Bond. Magnay lamented the "really poor" game management of his squad to not send the throw-in down the line when they were only 3 minutes from the half-time break - "we were punished for it".
Sutton started the second-half much like their manager, Steve Morrison’s, white trainers: extremely bright. The South London side had been buoyed by the goal and the introduction of Josh Coley and Ashley Nadesan during the interval, a description you couldn't as easily attribute to their gaffer's Reeboks. A corner was played short leading to a long-range swerving shot which Bond could only get a hand to; defender Alex Kirk was the first to react and stabbed the ball into an empty net to level the score.
Two quick goals from the visitors shifted the mood inside the stadium, which was only exacerbated as Sutton took the lead prior to hour. The only redemption for the Heed fans was that they had seen a goal of the highest quality, which will most definitely be listed at the end of the season for the goal of the year award. The ball fell to Lewis Simper, 40 yards out, who half-volleyed home, leaving Bond to speculatively dive as the ball flew past him.
Gateshead's home support soon grew increasingly frustrated, as one vocal individual instructed Magnay to “get [Liam] Humbles on,” to which he obliged, bringing off wing-back Worman, an apt name for someone playing in front of a Geordie crowd. Malcolm went close to scoring another, forcing the keeper to push his effort around the post.
The resulting corner allowed "inspiration" Luke Hannant to reply to Simper’s wonder-goal with one of his own, firing a volley from outside the box past the helpless Sims in the Sutton goal to tie the game once again. Magnay praised the goal for injecting "a real positivity" into his side - "If I had 11 Luke Hannants, we would win the league comfortably." The Heed gaffer went on to praise the mentality of his players in restoring control of a game that could have easily slipped out of reach.
It was a game of quick turnarounds and Gateshead continued this. Five minutes after Hannant’s goal, Roles found the ball falling to him on the six-yard box and made no mistake to secure his brace, putting Gateshead back in front and rounding off a memorable encounter.
The heartbreak of being refused entry to last season's playoffs
The win strengthens their play-off contentions as they hope to achieve their ambitions of promotion to the Football League. Now 11 points clear of 8th-place Eastleigh, the Heed will be confident of righting the heartbreak of being refused entry to last season's playoffs following council disputes.