Match Report: Jack McGraghan

Gateshead were defeated by 10-man Rochdale in a frustrating night at Gateshead International Stadium.

The visitors were reduced by one when Sam Beckwith was shown a second yellow card with 53 minutes gone, only to score what proved to the winner two minutes later when Robbie Tinkler sliced past his own goalkeeper.

Carl Magnay named an unchanged starting 11 on the back of the weekend’s 5-0 win at Maidenhead United, though brought Joe Grayson into the squad for the first time since the opening day in the sole change.

Owen Oseni was denied an opener early on by Rochdale goalkeeper Sam Waller, with the forward heading Josh Williams’ cross towards the bottom corner only for the stopper to block with his feet.

Rochdale came close at the other end with 20 minutes on the clock, first seeing Ben Radcliffe block Ryan East’s effort just in front of the far post, before Owen Mason’s point-blank save denied Kairo Mitchell’s first-time effort.

Gateshead were denied an opener by the woodwork 10 minutes later when Callum Whelan’s low strike came back off the far post after he was set up by Regan Booty, moments before a clearance ricocheted off Dan Jones and into the Rochdale net, only for the offside flag to go up.

The game’s main talking point saw Beckwith dismissed for a second bookable offence after fouling Tyrelle Newton on the counter attack, though Rochdale would take the lead two minutes later via a slice of fortune.

Jones’ ball down the line was cut out and set the visitors on the counter, seeing Connor McBride cross into the box and Tinkler slice his attempted clearance over Mason and in to open the scoring.

Gateshead controlled proceedings against 10 men from then on out but were frustrated on numerous occasions, with Ben Worman, Oseni and Whelan all seeing shots blocked or wide of the target in the second 45.

Oseni was denied an equaliser from close range by Waller once more after Tinkler had played him through in the box, before the Rochdale goalkeeper’s blushes were spared when he was dispossessed in the box by Whelan and Jovan Malcolm, only for the two to cross wires with each other and fail to get a clean shot away from 12 yards.

The visitors would hold out on Tyneside, handing The Heed a second home defeat of the season in the National League. 

Gateshead: Mason, Radcliffe, Tinkler, Jones (Grayson, 61’), Hannant, Williams, Booty, Whelan, Worman (Malcolm, 77’), Butterfield (Newton, 46’), Oseni.

Substitutes: Basey, Adom, Home, Thompson.

Yellow Cards: Booty (24’) 

Rochdale: Waller, Adebayo-Rowling, Beckwith, Buyabu, East, Gilmour, Gordon, Hogan, McBride (Okeke, 76’), Mitchell (Penney, 60’), Rodney (Henderson, 77’).

Substitutes: Allarakhia, Barlow, Ferguson, Kelly.

Goal: Tinkler (OG) (55’)

Yellow Cards: Beckwith (16’, 53′)

Red Card: Beckwith (53’)

Attendance: 712 (121 away)