A tense and closely fought encounter at the Gateshead International Stadium saw Rochdale edge past Gateshead 1-0, capitalising on a crucial second-half red card. The opening 45 minutes were a cagey affair, with neither side able to carve out any clear-cut opportunities. Midfield battles dominated, highlighting the tightly contested nature of the game. Reflecting this physicality, Gateshead’s Regan Booty and Rochdale’s Sam Beckwith both entered the referee’s notebook.
The match swung decisively in Rochdale’s favour shortly after the restart. Beckwith, already cautioned in the first half, received his second yellow card in the 53rd minute, reducing Gateshead to ten men. Rochdale wasted little time in making their numerical advantage count. Just two minutes later, in the 55th minute, the ball found its way into the Gateshead net, officially credited as an own goal by Robbie Tinkler.
Gateshead manager Carl Magnay responded immediately with a double substitution just after the hour mark, introducing fresh legs in an attempt to rescue the game. Rochdale manager Jimmy McNulty, by contrast, adopted a more cautious approach, making substitutions to bolster his defence and protect the slender lead. Despite their disadvantage, Gateshead rallied and pressed forward with increasing urgency in the closing stages, forcing several corners and free-kicks in dangerous areas. However, the Rochdale defence stood firm, repelling every Gateshead attack to secure a hard-fought three points.
The victory sees Rochdale move to 33 points, just behind Gateshead who remain on 37 points. This result elevates Rochdale to 6th in the National League table, one place below Gateshead in 5th. These two sides have met only twice in the previous three seasons, with Gateshead holding the advantage in those encounters with a win and a draw.