We’re approaching midway through the season and The Heed find themselves in a promising position in the National League North table.
Prior to the 2-1 loss suffered at the hands of Blyth Spartans on Sunday, Gateshead picked up seven consecutive league victories which have propelled them up to second in the league with two games in hand over leaders Brackley Town.
With just two points in it at the top of the table, the next couple of games will be crucial in whether or not they can take that top spot and hold onto it throughout the second half of the season.
Getting Back To Winning Ways
Gateshead will be looking to bounce back from the rare defeat that they suffered last weekend when they host fourth-placed Chorley on Saturday who they have met just once before in the Emirates FA Cup third round qualifying last season.
They’re currently fourth in the league and head into this game on the back of two consecutive victories including a seven-goal thriller against Curzon Ashton last time out where two late strikes secured them a 4-3 win and all three points.
Gateshead are the highest scorers in the league but Chorley will likely pose a threat given that they have averaged 2.4 goals per game over their last five in the league.
William Hill have Gateshead as favourites but a better bet may be on the BTTS or Over 2.5 Goals markets.
- Gateshead: 7/10
- Draw: 14/5
- Chorley: 18/5
- BTTS: 7/10
- Over 2.5 Goals: 7/10
They’re unbeaten at Gateshead International Stadium this season, winning all seven of their league matches, scoring 17 goals in the process and having the best defensive record at home, conceding just four goals.
If you compare that to Chorley winning just three of their nine matches on the road where they have averaged less than one goal per game, it’s easy to see why the hosts are the favourites to take away all three points.
If Gateshead can pick up three points on Saturday, it will give their title hopes a huge boost as they face a run of fixtures against sides in the bottom half of the table in the coming weeks.
Title Favourites
Following their recent run of good results, the bookies now have Gateshead as favourites to finish the season as National League North winners and those odds will surely shorten if they’re able to get back to winning ways by picking up maximum points at the weekend.
The current odds on National League North winner this season are as follows:
- Gateshead: 2/1
- Brackley: 5/2
- Fylde: 11/4
- Kidderminster: 10/1
- Chorley: 12/1
- Boston: 50/1
- York: 50/1
- Southport: 50/1
- Hereford: 125/1
The Heed started the season as 20/1 outsiders for the title which shows how well they’ve performed this term.
