Predictions Nations League - Gateshead vs Hednesford Town

Nations League - Gateshead vs Hednesford Town
Match Time: 16-10-2024 01:45 Wednesday (GMT+7)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Having provided with one of the toughest ties possible, most Hednesford fans had been realistic about their chances of causing a surprise against opponents who sit more than 80 places above them in the English football pyramid.

However, throughout an absorbing 90 minutes at Keys Park on Saturday afternoon, the Pitmen were more than a match for their higher-level opponents, squandering several clear-cut chances to take a first-half lead.

Gateshead can claim to have wasted similar opportunities in front of the BBC television cameras, yet they were fortunate to be moving into a 1-0 advantage when the opening goal arrived in the 64th minute through Tyrelle Newton.

Hednesford did not need long to find their equaliser through Rob Stevenson, however, who was composure personified inside the area to leave the majority of the 2,669 crowd dreaming of another FA Cup win for the archives.

Prior to the game, Hednesford had been playing a re-run of their 1997 heroics, ultimately going down 3-2 to Middlesbrough in the fourth round, and fans who attended that famous day would have been wary of suffering late heartbreak against a North-East side yet again.

However, Hednesford, who ply their trade in the eighth-tier Northern League Division One West Division, were able to defy the swarm of attacks that were coming from Gateshead, restricting them to far fewer openings than they had created in the opening 45 minutes.

The end result is a replay at the Gateshead International Stadium on Tuesday night, the home side banking on making amends for a second indifferent performance in a row under interim boss Ben Clark.

Although they have netted just three times in three games since Rob Elliot's departure to Crawley Town, Gateshead have been outstanding in the North-East this season, winning six of their seven National League games and scoring 15 goals in the process.

Hednesford have since plummeted down to 17th spot in their division, with games in hand on all the teams above them, but manager Steve King will be hoping that more amendments need to be made to their league schedule as they bid to earn a shot at playing in the first round proper.

Prediction: Gateshead 4-1 Hednesford Town