Match Report: Oliver Spark

Gateshead and Truro came away from the GIS with a hard-fought point each, despite a much-improved second half from Gateshead.  

Truro arrived on Tyneside after a historic trip up North – the longest journey ever in the football league. The visitors looked to build on the start of a good run of form, with Gateshead looking to add to their tally of wins this week after success in the Cup.  

Truro struck first, on six minutes Dominic Johnson-Fisher was played in on the right wing, beating Will Flint to make his way into the area where he got the better of Ibrahim Bakare. Their number eleven closed in on goal as the angle got tighter, but still managed to squeeze a powerful shot above Tiernan Brooks to give the travelling supporters something to cheer early on. 

Gateshead responded with good build-up play on the right wing, with Callum Johnson and Kyle Hurst linking up to put the latter in a shooting position. Hurst saw his effort rise above the bar to go out for a goal-kick.  

The home side had their first attempt on target after a cleverly taken free-kick from Jacob Butterfield, which found Hurst in the area, who did well to hold play up and get a shot away that was saved by Dan Lavercombe in the Truro goal.  

On 16 minutes Truro’s Luke Jephcott broke through centrally and slotted the ball away in the back of the net. But the linesman’s flag went up cut short any celebration.  

A well-worked break from Truro on 25 minutes saw Jephcott and Johnson-Fisher link up and the latter lay it off to Zac Bell whose powerful shot from the edge of the area was parried away by Brooks. 

On the 27th minute, Truro’s Jephcott saw his in-swinging corner toed in by Hasani in the six-yard box but the goal is ruled out by the referee after foul play in the lead up.  

The game slowed and became very stop-start with Truro dominating the ball. 

Frank Nouble got his chance just to the right of the box, his powerfully struck effort was saved low down at the near post by Lavercombe.  

On the 40 minute mark, Truro’s Shawn Donnellan had his well-struck shot saved by Brooks but the ball wasn’t cleared and the visitors kept it alive, forging a cross towards the back post. The waiting Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain got his foot on it and finished at the back post to give Truro a two-nil lead.  

Harry Chapman was brought down on the edge of the area on the 45th minute, a foul that Bell received a yellow for. Butterfield’s delivery was cleared by Truro and after another short injury break, the half ended with Truro two goals to the good.  

Gateshead came out at half-time having made two changes. Kain Adom came on for Hurst; and Max Melbourne replaced Will Flint. 

Harry Chapman immediately tried to make something happen with a curling shot from left of the area, which was saved by Lavercombe. On the right flank, Callum Johnson tried to make inroads into the area but Truro defended resolutely again.  

On 56 minutes, Kain Adom announced his return to the side emphatically. Taking the ball on the right-wing and facing up his man in the area, beating him with stepovers and cutting in to finish his run on his weaker left foot into the far corner, a moment of brilliance from our top scorer to get us back into the game.  

Johnson-Fisher caused Gateshead problems again, with a back heel this time in the area which found Yassine En-Neyah. A crucial block from Johnson stopped Truro from going any further.  

On seventy minutes, Nouble was freed by a ball through the middle by Chapman, he ran one on one with the keeper and coolly slotted the ball away for the leveller. 

Gateshead kept the pressure on after the goal and Adom had a low shot narrowly miss the near post. The match was evenly fought as we entered the last spell of this historic match.  

On 89 minutes Truro had a rare attack after Gateshead’s resurgence. Oxlade-Chamberlain fed the ball through to Jephcott who saw his shot fire over the bar. Gateshead had their own chance, a Brooks free kick fell to Pennant in the area who also fired over the bar.  

The visitors retaliated again, making the six additional minutes very busy. Jephcott again had the chance and after a long time in front of goal, his curling effort was wide of the far post.  

After a much improved second half performance from Gateshead, neither team could find the winning goal. The Tinners make the return journey of their historic 920-mile trip with a hard-fought point, and Gateshead saw their second-half efforts rewarded with the same. Two-two.  

Gateshead Lineup: Tiernan Brooks, Callum Johnson, Ibrahim Bakare, Will Flint (Max Melbourne 45’), David Ferguson, Josh Home (Curtis Edwards 68’), Fenton John, Jacob Butterfield (Kian Pennant 71’), Kyle Hurst (Kain Adom 45’), Harry Chapman (Dom Telford 78’), Frank Nouble 

Substitutes: Preston Leech, Callum Bone 

Goals: Kain Adom (54’), Frank Nouble (70’) 

Yellow Card: Fenton John (90+4’), Kain Adom (90+6’) 

Truro Lineup: Dan Lavercombe, Zac Bell, Connor Riley-Lowe (C), Will Dean, Yassine En-Neyah, Dominic Johnson-Fisher (Rekeil Pyke 67’), Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lirak Hasani, Luke Jephcott, Ryan Law, Shawn Donnellan 

Substitutes: Tylor Love-Holmes, Seidou Sanogo, Max Kinsey, Aiden Stone, Harry Kite, Saikou Janneh 

Goals: Dominic Johnson-Fisher (6’), Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain (40’) 

Yellow Cards: Zac Bell (45’) 

Attendance: 1256 (185 away)