Fresh from their dismal mid-week display against Hilllingdon Borough in the Middlesex Charity Cup, the Geordies travelled to meet Gosport Borough on Saturday with a side showing several changes from that which commenced the game against Hillingdon but still without leading goal scorer Jordan Edwards suffering from a long term injury.
There was immediate concern ten minutes into the game when Matt MacKenzie went down clutching his already damaged elbow which resulted in his withdrawal at half time.
Gosport were the more dominant side in the opening stages and they took the lead in the eighteenth minute, when from a short corner on the left wing, the ball found Gosport's Charlie Wassmer on the near past and he somehow squeezed it home past Town keeper Sam Beasant from close range.
Shortly afterwards a confrontation between Town's Dan Carr and Gosport's Bradley Tarbuck led to them both receiving yellow cards from the match referee.
Gosport went two up just after the half hour mark and again there was some concern at the frailty of Town’s normally resolute defence as an unchallenged Daniel Wooden volleyed home Nmarndi Nwachuko's cross from close range.
Town then had a great chance to reduce the deficit when excellent work by MacKenzie in midfield culminated in him playing a great ball into the path of Kameron English right through on goal but with just the advancing Gosport goalkeeper Adam Parkes to beat, his shot across the keeper went just wide of the far post.
At the other end, Tarbuck missed a good chance for Gosport, whilst on the stroke of half time, Ryan Cole saw his low shot beat Parkes with the ball just missing the far post.
The Geordies made three changes at the interval with Joe Waight, Alfie Pendlebury and Callum Woodcock coming on to replace MacKenzie, Elliot Benyon and Cole.
The move almost proved to be pivotal in any fight back as almost instantly, Parkes in the Gosport goal made a great save to deflect Waight's shot onto the crossbar from a cross by Carr and from there to safety.
In the fifty third minute, Gosport scored their third goal to virtually seal their victory when a low shot from Nwachuko took a huge deflection, wrong footing Sam Beasant completely as it found its way into the back of Town’s net.
Town made two further substitutions with Chris Regis replacing English and Will Hall, on his way to returning to full fitness, replacing Harry Seabrook.
As the minutes ticked away, Gosport were awarded a very tame penalty kick that surprised both sides but justice was done when Asher Yearwood's weak effort was comfortably saved by Sam Beasant.
1 Sam Beasant (C), 2 Joe Wilson, 3 Dan Carr, 4 Roberto Nditi, 5 Dwayne Duncan, 6 Harry Seabrook (Will Hall 81’), 7 Taylor Miles, 8 Mat Mackenzie (Callum Woodcock 46’), 9 Elliot Benyon (Alfie Pendlebury 46’), 10 Ryan Cole (Joe Waight 46’), 11 Kameron English (Chris Regis 61’).
Substitutes
12 Chris Regis, 14 Joseph Waight,15 Alfie Pendlebury, 16 Will Hall, 17 Callum Woodcock
