A tense and closely-fought encounter at the Gateshead International Stadium saw Gateshead secure a slender 1-0 victory over Wealdstone, courtesy of a second-half goal from substitute Jovan Malcolm. The opening 45 minutes proved a cagey affair, with defences dominating and clear-cut chances at a premium. Wealdstone’s Mason Barrett received the first booking of the match in the 27th minute for a foul. While Gateshead enjoyed a greater share of possession, they found it difficult to penetrate a well-organised Wealdstone defence. The visitors, meanwhile, posed a threat on the counter-attack, but their final ball often let them down, failing to seriously test the Gateshead goalkeeper.
The second half initially followed a similar pattern, with both sides cautiously probing for an opening. Frustration grew for Wealdstone as Jack Wells-Morrison was shown a yellow card in the 52nd minute for a foul. The game’s decisive moment came in the 67th minute when Gateshead manager Ben Clark introduced a trio of substitutes, including Jovan Malcolm. Malcolm’s impact was immediate and telling. Just six minutes after coming on, he found himself perfectly positioned to finish from close range in the 73rd minute, sparking jubilant celebrations amongst the home support. Wealdstone responded with substitutions of their own, but they were unable to carve out any significant opportunities to equalise. As the match entered its final stages and tensions rose, yellow cards were shown to Gateshead’s Dan Jones and Wealdstone’s Brandon Mason. Despite a late surge of pressure, Wealdstone couldn’t breach the Gateshead defence, and the home side held on for a valuable three points.
The victory elevates Gateshead to third in the National League table, while Wealdstone remain in 23rd. Their recent head-to-head record favoured Gateshead coming into the match, with the Tynesiders boasting a 3-1 advantage over their opponents in their previous four meetings, scoring eight goals to Wealdstone’s five.