Disjointed Bulls fail at Gateshead

Where to start?  Well, 62 minutes in would be a bit of a dodge because by the time United started the game they were two Josh Walker goals down and a token Michael West consolation midway through the second period did little to gloss over a poor display.

Martin Foyle was able to call on the returning Danny Leadbitter in place of Dom Collins in an otherwise unchanged side that saw Michael Rankine, against, start on the bench.  The Heed named former Bull Adam Bartlett in their starting line-up.

With the hosts in black and white, The Bulls sported their orange away kit as the game started in bright sunshine following the downpours of the previous day.  Not a lot happened in the opening five minutes other than Gateshead retaining possession and the Bulls grafting to close down.  A Bulls’ opportunity to break forward fell down when Chris Smith’s poor control gave the ball to the hosts.  Chris Sharp was penalised for a feather-duster challenge but the free kick from 25 yards was sent wide.

The first corner arrived on ten minutes and Leadbitter did well to get in a headed clearance.  Sharp was felled 30 yards from goal and Bush’s well-struck free kick was charged down before Marwood broke down the right but his cross was over hit.  Rob Purdie and Paul Green were struggling to contain the well-staffed home midfield and when Purdie did find a decent through ball to West the cross held up in the wind and Bartlett was able to collect.

Leadbitter’s darting run put Walker clear but he delayed his cross and the threat was gone.  Purdie then threaded a ball through to West but the loalee was caught fractionally offside.  Bartlett showed he had lost none of his kicking skills as he drafted a trademark clearance straight into touch from which Bush’s long throw found Sharp but the striker was well marshalled by Clarke who blocked his shot on the turn.

Luke Graham did well to cut out a cross from the left but The Bulls were undone on 33 minutes when a through ball from Marwood caught United’s defence square and Josh Walker was left with the relatively easy task of slotting past the unprotected Evans.

Walker Scores For Gateshead

Despite the hosts having what seemed like 70% of the possession this was the first real threat on goal.

Leadbitter charged down the right to feed Walker but, once again, the first touch was poor and the ball bounced to O’Brian who was given all the time he needed to clear upfield.  Then shortly before the break, Gateshead doubled their advantage with another soft goal.

James Brown bought a cheap free kick going down after he had lost the ball 25 yards out and Josh Walker converted with a dipping shot that crept inside the post.

Gateshead's Second Goal

HT Gateshead 2 Bulls 0

The Bulls had been poor in the first period but, for all their possession, The Heed had done little apart from score two goals.  Not for the first time Hereford’s midfield were outnumbered in the centre of the park and it seemed clear the strengthening in that area was needed along with Rankine’s ability up top if anything was to be gained from the match.

Sadly, The Bulls emerged unchanged following the break and the game resumed its earlier storyline as Gateshead bossed possession and any rare opportunities that fell to The Bulls were all to easily squandered by cheap loss of the ball.

The Three Subs Watching And Waiting To Come On

With a little less than 30 minutes remaining, expectations were lifted by the sight of Rankine, Artus and debutant Jonathan Brown readying themselves for action.  With most of the travelling Bulls expecting the departure of Smith, Walker and West, it was, in fact, Purdie, Sharp and Walker that caught the hook.

Rankine made an immediate impression on the game as his superior ball control and overall footballing ability made a mockery of the earlier dominance of home defence.  His first touch earned a corner that was hoofed away by Clarke and from the Bush long throw, Artus flashed in a volley that was blocked away for a corner.  Then Rankine turned his marker inside out before seeing his shot blocked with Bartlett scrambling to recover his ground before The Bulls got a goal back with fifteen minutes remaining.

Rankine Sends The Ball Towards West Who Scores

A Jonathan Brown cross was held up by Rankine and then laid off to Michael West to finish unmarked from inside the six-yard box.

Bartlett Beaten

Rankine released Smith but poor anticipation allowed his marker to get in an easy clearance.  Bush delivered a long throw that Big Ranks volleyed just wide of the mark and a McDonald header from a corner was headed over the bar.

Richard Brodie was a late and largely ineffective substitute for The Heed.

FT Gateshead 2 Bulls 1

Hereford: Evans, Leadbitter, McDonald, Graham, Bush, Walker (Brown 63), Purdie (Artus 63), Green, West, Sharp (Rankine 63), Smith. Subs not used: Collins, Gwynne.
Gateshead: Bartlett, Cummins, Curtis, Clark, O’Brien, Chandler, Turnbull, Walker, Marwood (Brodie 73), Brown (Boyes 68), Larkin. Subs not used: Baxter, Maddison, Hope.

Attendance 931 (?) with 72 from England.

The final twenty-five minutes or so showed that the earlier Gateshead dominance was, at best, gifted by The Bulls.  With Sharp, Walker and Smith all on the field, there was simply no willingness for the wide players to work back to help the over-run midfield whereas the hosts’ widemen were based in midfield and only broke forward when in possession.  Maybe we spectators take too simplistic a view of the game.

See you Friday evening. Cough, 4-5-1, cough.

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