REPORT | Wealdstone 2-4 Gateshead

Wealdstone were defeated by a rampant Gateshead side at Grosvenor Vale.

Goals from Mamadou Jobe, Kieron Evans and Marcus Dinanga had the away side three goals to the good after just 18 minutes of the first-half.

The Stones pulled one back just before half-time through the lively Tarryn Allarakhia but the away side regained their three-goal advantage just a minute after the break through Louis Storey.

Jaydn Mundle-Smith brought the Stones back into the game with a finish from a corner in the 66th minute but the away side held their own to see out the game for all three points at the Vale.

With Captain Jack Cook and Mason Barrett suspended, and club top scorer Sean Adarkwa out injured, David Noble made three changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Maidenhead United last week. Setting up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Corie Andrews, Brandon Mason and Micah Obiero all returned to the starting XI.

The game started in the worst possible way for the Stones, who found themselves a goal down after just five minutes when Jobe headed past Dewhurst after a teasing ball from Callum Whelan found the onrushing defender in the box.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the 12th minute, playing their way through the Wealdstone defence and setting Evans up for a simple finish from close range.

Five minutes later, Dinanga tapped home after the Heed once again played through the defensive set-up of the Stones, making it a disastrous return to action for the home side as they went 3-0 down after just 18 minutes.

Despite being three goals down, the Stones looked to bring themselves back into the game and they almost pulled one back, three minutes later, when Allarakhia went on a mazy solo run, but his left-footed effort flew narrowly wide of Harrison Bond’s post.

With a lot of the Stones success coming from the left-flank, it was likely that any way back into the game would come from that side. With five minutes to go until half-time, Noble’s side gave themselves a lifeline when Allarakhia picked up the ball around the edge of the box and rifled an effort past Bond to cut the deficit down to two.

But despite their attempts at a comeback, the game once again looked out of their reach when Gateshead scored their fourth goal of the game just after half-time as the ball fell to Storey in the box, who finished well inside the area.

The Stones best player on the day, Allarakhia, once again looked to pull his side back into the game in the 60th minute when he jinked past the Gateshead defence and hit a lethal effort towards the top corner, but a top diving save from Bond denied him what looked a certain goal.

But they didn’t let the game die out and cut the deficit back down to two goals in the 66th minute when a scramble from a corner fell to Mundle-Smith at the back-post to smash the ball home.

Knowing how crucial the next goal would be, Rob Elliott’s side held strong for the rest of the half, limiting the Stones to just a few half-chances from Jack Young, who came on for his debut, and Obeiro, but eventually held out for all three points at the Vale.

Next up for the Stones is a rescheduled FA Trophy tie against local rivals Hendon on Tuesday at 19:45. Keep an eye out on Monday for confirmation as to whether the game will be played at Grosvenor Vale or Hendon's Silver Jubilee Park ground.

WEALDSTONE: Dewhurst, Seaman (Woodman 59), Barker (c), Mundle-Smith, Mason, Henry, Bowen (Young 59), Ferguson (Dyer 71), Obiero, Allarakhia, Andrews.

Subs not used: Bartolo, Phillips.

Attendance: 1,108

Report by Will Beaman