Eastleigh welcome Gateshead to the Silverlake Stadium in what promises to be a keenly contested National League encounter. Both sides will be eager to secure a crucial win and inject some much-needed momentum into their respective campaigns.
Eastleigh’s recent form suggests room for improvement. They enter the match on the back of a single defeat and, worryingly for their supporters, failed to trouble the scorers in their last fixture. Gateshead find themselves in a similar position, also nursing a one-game losing streak and searching for a solution to their own recent goal-scoring woes.
The historical head-to-head record makes for grim reading from an Eastleigh perspective. Over the previous three seasons, the two sides have met six times, with Eastleigh yet to taste victory. Gateshead have emerged triumphant on three occasions, with the remaining three matches ending in a stalemate. In those encounters, Gateshead have found the net a striking 16 times, while Eastleigh have only managed six. Last season saw Gateshead claim a 2-1 victory on home turf, Owen Oseni and Louis Storey registering for the Heed, with Scott Quigley replying for Eastleigh. The return fixture at the Silverlake Stadium finished 1-1, Jake Taylor’s late penalty rescuing a point for Eastleigh after Tyrell Sellars-Fleming had put Gateshead ahead.
The early league standings reflect a difficult start for both teams. After one match, Eastleigh sit in 17th position with zero points, having conceded once and failed to score. Gateshead are marginally worse off in 21st place, also pointless, and carrying a goal difference of -3 after shipping three goals in their opening match. Gateshead will also be smarting from narrowly missing out on the play-offs last season after drawing with Southend, a match they needed to win.
A victory for Eastleigh would provide a significant confidence boost and lift them up the table, whilst simultaneously offering the chance to finally break their winless run against Gateshead. For Gateshead, three points are vital to reignite their play-off ambitions and address their recent struggles in the final third. A draw would do little to alleviate the pressure on either side, leaving them mired in the lower reaches of the table and searching for answers. Defeat for either team would further damage morale and leave them facing an uphill battle as the season unfolds.