Match Report: Jack McGraghan

Gateshead recorded their fifth win in six games with a two-nil victory at Kidderminster Harriers to move back into the Vanarama National League play-off places.

Callum Whelan slotted a rebound home on the half-hour mark to give The Heed control at the break, before Mamadou Jobe scored his second goal in four days to seal three points in the second half.

James Montgomery was the only change to the starting 11 from Saturday’s win at Wealdstone, with the goalkeeper making his 73^rd appearance for Gateshead after joining on a one-month loan from Spennymoor Town.

It took 18 minutes for the first real moment of note to arrive at Aggborough, with a series of fouls early on disrupting the game’s flow.

Kain Adom’s strike from the edge of the box was straight down the throat of Christian Dibble, but the goalkeeper slightly misjudged the ball’s flight, leaving it to spin over him and onto the goal line, though Dibble recovered just in time to claw away.

The half-hour mark saw the deadlock broken though, with Ed Francis’ ball over the top to Marcus Dinanga seeing the striker send a blocked shot into Whelan’s path, who raced in to slot home from point blank range.

Dibble’s shaky opening 45 continued when he almost fumbled a 30-yard Francis strike into the path of a black shirt, though the stopper again managed to bat away the loose ball just in time with attackers lurking.

Kidderminster couldn’t muster a shot on goal until the 52^nd minute when Ashley Hemmings sent a tame effort straight into Montgomery’s grasp, and their woes would be compounded when Jobe flicked home Kieron Evans’ corner on the hour mark to double The Heed’s lead.

Rob Elliot’s side could have gone even further ahead in the second period but for Dibble, who saved two one-on-one efforts from Dinanga as well as a close-range stop from Evans to keep Kidderminster in the game.

His efforts would prove to be in vain though, as Gateshead maintained control up until the final whistle to move back into the National League play-off places.

Gateshead: Montgomery, Grayson, Jobe, Storey, Adom (Stott, 79’), Hannant (Hasani, 84’), Francis, Whelan, Evans, Worman, Dinanga (Brown, 79’).

Substitutes: Cassap, Constantin.

Goals: Whelan (30’), Jobe (60’)

Yellow Cards: Jobe (65’)

Kidderminster Harriers: Dibble, Byrne (Griffiths, 73’), Brown, Harper-Bailey (Omotayo, 40’), Hemmings, Lambert, McNally, Morgan-Smith (Bellis, 73’), Pearce, Penny, Richards. 

Substitutes: Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hesketh.

Yellow Cards: Byrne (8’), Griffiths (90+3’)

Attendance: 2.212 (48 Gateshead)