With the scores level at the halfway point with Jordy Hiwula cancelling out Jack Wadham’s headed opener, an own goal from Gateshead skipper Alex Lankshear following industrious work from Bailey Smith ended up being the winner on Tyneside.
Adam Hinshelwood decided to make one change for Tuesday night’s stalemate away to Yeovil Town, also prompting a change in formation. Charlie Waller had to settle for a place on the bench, allowing Queens Park Rangers loanee Emmerson Sutton to be handed his first start in a Red shirt. Fellow forward Dominic Johnson-Fisher was named amongst the substitutes for the first time since signing on a permanent deal from Truro City last week.
Despite sitting bottom of the National League having lost five league matches in succession, it was the hosts who took the match by the scruff of the neck.
A scrappy opening 10 minutes was capitalised upon by Gateshead, with the Heed profiting off loose balls and the congestion. Michael Spellman’s shot was dragged wide from 20 yards out prior to the full-back picking out Hiwula in the middle, who couldn’t divert the delivery into the back of the net.
These were precursors to Alfie McCalmont’s attempt on target, as the midfielder drifted in behind the defence and forced Reds shot-stopper Taylor Seymour into a smart parry.
The early storm was weathered by the visiting side and against the run of the deadlock was brojen. After winning a free-kick high up the field, the set-piece prowess of Jordan Young found the unmarked Wadham inside a crowed area. Not known for his aerial presence, the midfielder deftly flicked in the cross with his forehead as the ball bounced off the post and into Pete Jameson’s net.
After providing the first, Young had a golden opportunity to make it two just shy of the half hour mark. Sutton picked out his fellow attacker in the middle, but the former Torquay United man snatched at his chance and allowed the defenders to clear their lines.
Just 10 minutes after falling behind, the hosts conjured up a flowing attacking move to level matters and score their first first-half goal of the campaign.
Plymouth Argyle loanee Freddie Issaka executed a perfectly-weighted pass through to strike partner Hiwula, with the nature of the pass drawing Seymour away from his goal-line. Composure was shown in abundance by the 32-year-old to round the goalkeeper and lift a finish into the untended net and away from Jayden Moore’s reach. A buoyed home crowd erupted – this was a rare highlight in an otherwise glum campaign.
Hiwula then almost doubled his and Heed’s tally for the afternoon following inaccurate distribution from Seymour, but the striker was thwarted by the chest of the Sussex Cat.
Just before the break, the Reds came close to restoring their advantage. Charley Kendall was released through on goal, but couldn’t sort his feet out in time and his subsequent shot was straight at Jameson from 12 yards out as a result.
Gateshead continued their aggressive and energetic approach to proceedings early on in the second half, urging Hinshelwood into making a triple change with Charlie Waller, Dominic Johnson-Fisher and Bailey Smith all introduced into the fold. The latter’s arrival onto the pitch would prove crucial, as the Worthing-born Red had a huge hand in the winner.
Those alterations was part of an overall adjustment in shape, with Waller’s involvement allowing Cory Adjetey-Brew and Smith to push higher up the field as wing-backs. The left wing-back began to terrorise the Gateshead defence and his deflected cross instantly landed on top of the roof of the net.
Hiwula was still proving to be a handful and the anticipation of Moore was required to prevent the striker from pulling the trigger from close-range.
Referee Dean Watson opted to take a lenient approach midway through the second half following an off-the-ball scuffle between Ricky Aguiar and Fenton John. A yellow card was brandished, an appropriate punishment for a situation that was threatening to boil over.
With the Rebels slowly pushing further up the field, a slice of fortune put them in the driving seat with roughly 20 minutes to go. Kendall latched onto Moore’s pass and found Smith, who advanced towards the by-line and attempted to cut the ball into the danger zone. Lankshear’s touch diverted Smith’s pass inadvertently past his own goalkeeper and into the back of the net. A crucial lead on the road was found again, which the travelling side were able to cling onto this time.
Worthing had chances to extend their advantage further, with Aguiar’s swerving free-kick causing issues for Jameson moments before heroic defending from David Ferguson stopped Johnson-Fisher from opening his account for the club from five yards out.
Desperate to not just be a footnote on the scoreline, Hiwula raced towards the near post from a corner but couldn’t keep his contact on target.
Two late substitutions of Harry Ransom and Sam Packham brought extra solidity to proceedings and provided the foundations for Coleman De-Graft’s curling effort and Wadham’s drilled attempt from the resulting corner.
Time eventually dwindled and the three points were secured following another gruelling and competitive contest. It’s a result that propels the West Sussex outfit into the play-off places, pretty viewing for everyone of a Worthing persuasion.
The Reds take a brief break from league action during midweek with a visit to Three Bridges in the second round of the Sussex Transport Senior Cup.
Originally published by Worthing FC ↗