Saturday saw top play bottom in the NHML Division 2 East, as Wakefield HC hosted Gateshead HC.  The league standings would make it appear that all Gateshead had to do is turn up and collect the 3 points but a closer look at Wakefield’s results tells a different tale.  Wakefield have only 1 draw to their name so far this season but on 7 occasions have only lost out by 1 goal. However a late rally from Wakefield couldn’t stop this from being defeat number 13 of the season.
 
Gateshead started the game off in shaky fashion and in the opening 5min you wouldn’t have believed that Gateshead were league leaders.  Basic skills were amiss and Gateshead stuttered through the gears, struggling to find any consistency in their play.  Even though Gateshead were not at their most fluent they still managed to conger up the opening goal through White.  Traynor dribbled the ball well through the Wakefield defence and slipped the ball to White at the back post to slap the ball into the empty goal.
Wakefield’s defence struggled to deal with Gateshead’s direct running, usually at times having to stop Gateshead through unfair means and Wakefield’s captain Smith was lucky not to be sin binned for some hefty challenges.  One of such did lead to Gateshead’s 2nd goal of the game as Fleming was obstructed dribbling into the Wakefield “D”.  Gateshead set up for a Collins drag-flick from the resultant penalty corner and he managed to somehow squeeze it under the Wakefield keeper.
Collins next drag-flick was somewhat more impressive.  Wakefield again fouled Fleming in their “D” and Gateshead ran the same penalty corner routine as before.  This time Collins flicked the ball into the right side of the Wakefield net and Gateshead had opened up a commanding early lead.
At the end of the 1st half White got his 2nd of the game.  This time Honour charged into the “D” and ball spilled about he managed to cut the ball back from the baseline to White.  The Wakefield keeper expected the early shot and slide at the feet of White who coolly flicked the ball high into the top netting of the Wakefield goal.  This meant that Gateshead were able to go into the halftime break 0-4 up, even though they had not particularly played great.
 
The first 20min of the second half followed the same pattern of the 1st half, with Gateshead not at their best but still managing to create chances.  One of these chances was taken by White, for his 4th of the day.  Some neat play led to Traynor firing wide in the Wakefield “D” but White was on hand to deflect the ball goal ward.
 Gateshead went further ahead moments later when Traynor avoided the Wakefield challenges at the top of the Wakefield “D” and slipped a pass under his shoulder to White.  As he did so he was shoulder barged from the side and knocked to the floor.  However his pass found its target and White rolled the ball back for the onrushing Fleming to slap the ball high into the Wakefield net.  Celebrations were muted as subsequent to the hard challenge Traynor had to leave the field of play with a head injury.
At 0-6 down Wakefield must have thought there was no way back into the game but a succession of events got them back in the game.  Firstly Wakefield grabbed a goal back through complete confusion.  On dribbling the ball out of their defence a whistle was blown for a foul against Gateshead, to which everyone stopped play.  Annoyed that the whistle had blown Wakefield protested that advantage should have been played and the player with the ball kept on running even though every other player on the pitch had stopped to remonstrate.  In the end only one player kept playing as all players on both teams thought the play had stopped. He ran the length of the pitch and rolled the ball into the Gateshead goal.  As the goal was given Gateshead exploded and cried foul, but the goal stood.

This seemed to completely unsettle Gateshead and all of a sudden Wakefield were on the front foot.  Matters got worse when Hardy received a yellow card for dissent and Gateshead were down to 10 men.  While a man up Wakefield found the net 2 more times; the first a weak drag-flick down the middle of the goal and the second was through lack lustre challenges in the Gateshead “D” leading to the ball being passed around McEwen.
Gateshead played the remainder of the game down to 10 men because as soon as Hardy rejoined the action Fleming went the opposite direction after breaking up play.  Luckily for Gateshead the score line didn’t get worse and the game ended 3-6.

This means Gateshead remain top of the league but lessons must be learnt or points may be dropped in the future.  Gateshead host 2nd place Lincoln next Saturday and if Gateshead want to stamp their authority on this league with a win, they will need to up their game.