Post by Rio Doherty on Jan 27, 2020 10:33:43 GMT
Attentions quickly turn to our first midweek league match since September as we make the venture to County Durham to play Gateshead away where we look to record back-to-back wins. Saturday’s much-improved display will give us bags of confidence ahead of what will be a tough game at a place where we are yet to win at. We have two testing away journeys coming up in the next few days where we will have to maintain our solidarity at the back in order to grind out more valuable points.
Our last match was on Saturday where we demolished Darlington 3-0 at home in what was a brilliant encounter to watch. The first half was very open with both sides passing the ball around nicely, and just 12 minutes in Brad Jackson made it 1-0 to us with a superb solo goal. He capitalised on a Darlo mistake on the halfway line, ran with it for almost half of the pitch, then fired into the far corner from 20 yards out. On the approach to the half hour mark Anthony Dudley had the ball in the net for us, but unfortunately the flag was already up for offside. Meanwhile, the second half was even better by us as we remained resolute at the back, and in the final third we reaped our rewards with our clinical finishing. Towards the 60th minute mark the floodgates opened as we scored two goals in two minutes, thanks to Joel Taylor who bagged two assists. On the 57th minute Akwasi Asante made it 2-0 to us, by stabbing home from a Taylor corner. Then, just two minutes later Danny Livesey nodded in to make it 3-0 to us, after an inch-perfect Taylor free kick. We still remained a threat on the wings with further chances going our way, but three goals was enough to put us well and truly back on track.
Gateshead have had a solid season so far, as they sit just outside the play-off places with a number of games in hand. Despite finishing in the top ten last season, The Heed actually got demoted from the National League during the Summer due to financial breaches. Ex-Newcastle United player Mike Williamson was named as their new manager back in June, and has done a shrewd job so far with Gateshead having one of the best home records in the league. It will by no means be easy, especially with forward Ruairi Keating arriving on Tyneside from Torquay United on Friday, with him expected to make his debut tomorrow. Due to the tragic passing of Jordan Sinnott on Saturday, Gateshead’s away match at Alfreton Town was postponed so they will be a bit more fresher than us.
Given our poor record in the North East and at the Gateshead International Stadium as a whole we are going to be up against it, although there is no reason why we cannot get something from this. This will be my first visit back there since the opening day in 2016 where we got hammered 3-0 on a roasting day. Surely tomorrow can’t be much worse, so hopefully we will extend our run of no league goals conceded in 2020. However, for some reason I think both teams will serve up a goal fest tomorrow - a bit similar to our last visit to Gateshead in 2017 (also on a Tuesday night!) Come On You Blues!
Score: Gateshead (Preston, O’Donnell) 2-3 Chester FC (Dudley, Johnston, Livesey)
Attendance: 826 (104 Chester FC)
My predicted lineup:
Griffiths
K.Roberts Livesey Grand Taylor
Jackson Stopforth G.Roberts Johnston
Dudley Asante
COYB!
Our last match was on Saturday where we demolished Darlington 3-0 at home in what was a brilliant encounter to watch. The first half was very open with both sides passing the ball around nicely, and just 12 minutes in Brad Jackson made it 1-0 to us with a superb solo goal. He capitalised on a Darlo mistake on the halfway line, ran with it for almost half of the pitch, then fired into the far corner from 20 yards out. On the approach to the half hour mark Anthony Dudley had the ball in the net for us, but unfortunately the flag was already up for offside. Meanwhile, the second half was even better by us as we remained resolute at the back, and in the final third we reaped our rewards with our clinical finishing. Towards the 60th minute mark the floodgates opened as we scored two goals in two minutes, thanks to Joel Taylor who bagged two assists. On the 57th minute Akwasi Asante made it 2-0 to us, by stabbing home from a Taylor corner. Then, just two minutes later Danny Livesey nodded in to make it 3-0 to us, after an inch-perfect Taylor free kick. We still remained a threat on the wings with further chances going our way, but three goals was enough to put us well and truly back on track.
Gateshead have had a solid season so far, as they sit just outside the play-off places with a number of games in hand. Despite finishing in the top ten last season, The Heed actually got demoted from the National League during the Summer due to financial breaches. Ex-Newcastle United player Mike Williamson was named as their new manager back in June, and has done a shrewd job so far with Gateshead having one of the best home records in the league. It will by no means be easy, especially with forward Ruairi Keating arriving on Tyneside from Torquay United on Friday, with him expected to make his debut tomorrow. Due to the tragic passing of Jordan Sinnott on Saturday, Gateshead’s away match at Alfreton Town was postponed so they will be a bit more fresher than us.
Given our poor record in the North East and at the Gateshead International Stadium as a whole we are going to be up against it, although there is no reason why we cannot get something from this. This will be my first visit back there since the opening day in 2016 where we got hammered 3-0 on a roasting day. Surely tomorrow can’t be much worse, so hopefully we will extend our run of no league goals conceded in 2020. However, for some reason I think both teams will serve up a goal fest tomorrow - a bit similar to our last visit to Gateshead in 2017 (also on a Tuesday night!) Come On You Blues!
Score: Gateshead (Preston, O’Donnell) 2-3 Chester FC (Dudley, Johnston, Livesey)
Attendance: 826 (104 Chester FC)
My predicted lineup:
Griffiths
K.Roberts Livesey Grand Taylor
Jackson Stopforth G.Roberts Johnston
Dudley Asante
COYB!