Words John Edwards

Gateshead 0 Altrincham 1

Jimmy Knowles scored a brilliant solo goal for a dominant Altrincham side who missed a late penalty but were still good value for a seventh Enterprise National League win in eight matches at a rainswept Gateshead International Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Robins looked every inch a team riding the crest of a wave, brimming with confidence after such a stunning sequence of results, as they took the game to the home side from the first whistle.

The goal that counted came midway through an Alty-controlled first half as Knowles burst down the left and cut inside before burying a low drive into the left corner of the Gateshead net.

Other clear chances followed, not least 10 minutes from time when substitute Lucas Weaver was upended in the box, only for Knowles' firmly-struck penalty to be saved by home keeper Pete Jameson, diving low to his right.

What a run of outstanding form from Neil Gibson's men, who now sit third in the table, just one point behind second-placed Harrogate Tiown.

Alty started brightly, very much on the front foot, and had the perfect opportunity to crown all their early enterprise with a goal in only the 10th minute.

Tom Crawford powered forward from near the halfway line and threaded a pass into the path of the supporting Kane Hemmings. It was vision of the highest order by the Alty skipper to spot a gap between two defenders and exploit it with a perfectly-weighted ball that put Hemmings through on goal.

Hemmings just had the keeper to beat but was foiled, as Jameson spread himself to block the Alty striker's attempt to dink the ball over him.

It was all Alty, and the pressure paid off in the 21st minute with a gem of a goal by Knowles.

The Alty sharpshooter won possession on the left and shrugged off a challenge before heading towards the penalty area and cutting inside. Hemmings was up in support, but Knowles cleverly used him as a decoy as he sidestepped another defender before rifling an unstoppable low drive inside Jameson's near post, giving the Gateshead keeper no chance.

It was the sort of unerring finish that illustrated why Knowles was hailed as one of the most clinical marksmen in the National League when he joined us at the start of last season.

Alty's control was such that Andy Firth in the away goal had still to be tested as the half-hour mark came and went. 

The Robins' supremacy should have been reflected on the scoreline after another inviting opportunity was carved out in the 32nd minute.

A brilliant turn by Aidan Barlow left his marker standing and enabled him to look up and pick out Knowles in space on the left of the area. Hemmings was in even more space in the centre, and, on this occasion, Knowles opted for setting up his team-mate for a routine finish, rather than using him as a decoy.

That was the intention, anyway, but Knowles' radar was off, unfortunately, as his misdirected pass travelled behind Hemmings and out of the Alty striker's reach.

The second half could have started better for the Robins, with Hemmings picking up a knock and having to be replaced by Weaver in the 50th minute.

The misty, wet conditions weren't helping, either, but Knowles made light of them in the 52nd minute with another lightning burst into the box on the right and fierce low drive that flashed narrowly wide of the right post.

A second goal continued to prove elusive, for all Alty's attacking endeavour, as Sam Taylor whipped in a low cross in the 56th minute that Weaver controlled before spinning and hitting a left-foot effort over the bar.

With Gateshead belatedly starting to mount some pressure of their own, Alty would have welcomed a two-goal cushion, and it almost materialised in the 73rd minute.

Matty Kosylo did superbly to spot a gap and exploit it with a sharp turn of pace, and when he found Knowles on the right with a pinpoint pass, the striker's low cross was so nearly turned in at the near post by Barlow.

That hard-to-come-by second goal really should have become a reality when Alty were awarded a penalty in the 80th minute.

Weaver was bundled to the floor by a clumsy challenge by former Alty defender Kyle Ferguson, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. But not only did Jameson spring to his right to parry Knowles' kick, he was on his feet in an instant to block Weaver's point-blank follow-up effort.

So it remained a test of nerve for Alty for the remainder of the 90 minutes, plus the seven that were added on, but it was one they passed with flying colours to deservedly notch up a seventh win in eight games.

Gateshead Jameson; Lavery (K.Ferguson, 76'), D.Ferguson, Home (Chadwick, 85'), Lankshear (c) (Lewis-Burgess, 85'), Robinson (Hiwula, 65'), Supyk, John, Spellman, McCalmont, Eguaibor (Issaka, 85'). Subs not used: Phillips, Coyle.

Altrincham Firth; Banks, Cooper, Khan, Barlow (Hinchy, 89'), Knowles, Kosylo (Reddin, 89'), Taylor, Lopata-White, Crawford (c), Hemmings (Weaver, 50'). Subs not used: Breckin, Raymond, Kirk, Isted.

HT 0-1

Goals None | Knowles 21'

Yellows Robinson 6', Spellman 80' | Kosylo 36', Cooper 67'

Reds None | None

Referee Matthew McQuillan

Assistants Jamie Waters & Adam Burgess

Fourth official Matthew Sowerby

Next Up

We head for the National League leaders on Saturday for a 3pm kick-off in Hertfordshire. 

General admission tickets are on sale here from our hosts Boreham Wood and if you're after away travel from Union Golf Road click here.