Gateshead delivered a commanding performance at the Gateshead International Stadium, dismantling Woking 4-0 in a dominant display. The Heed wasted little time in establishing their authority, earning a penalty after just six minutes. Luke Hannant stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot-kick, giving Gateshead the early lead. Their advantage was doubled in the 15th minute following a well-constructed move. Ben Worman’s incisive pass found Tyrelle Newton, who finished with aplomb. Woking struggled to contain the fluidity of Gateshead’s attack, and their afternoon worsened in the 29th minute when the referee awarded the home side a second penalty. Hannant again assumed responsibility and made no mistake from 12 yards, extending Gateshead’s lead to 3-0. For the remainder of the first half, Woking were largely chasing shadows, failing to create any meaningful opportunities to trouble the Gateshead defence.
The second half began in much the same vein, with Gateshead firmly on the front foot. Just three minutes after the restart, Owen Oseni made it 4-0, converting a Callum Whelan assist. With the game seemingly out of reach, Woking manager Michael Doyle reacted swiftly, making a triple substitution shortly after the fourth goal. Frank Vincent, Alan Judge, and Jamie Andrews were replaced by Jermaine Anderson, Dale Gorman, and Lewis Walker respectively. Despite these changes, Gateshead continued to control the tempo, demonstrating their squad depth with substitutions of their own. Oseni, Worman, and Josh Williams made way for Jovan Malcolm, Charlie Colkett, and Robbie Tinkler. Woking, despite their efforts to stem the tide, were unable to breach the resolute Gateshead defence, and the home side comfortably saw out the remainder of the match.
The emphatic victory strengthens Gateshead’s league position, while Woking will be left to reflect on a disappointing performance, particularly given their 2-0 victory over Gateshead earlier in the season. Coming into this match, Gateshead were positioned 4th in the National League table, while Woking occupied 18th place. The heavy defeat will be a cause for concern for the Cards, who will need to address their defensive vulnerabilities if they hope to improve their league standing. This result bucks the recent trend in this fixture; before this encounter, Woking had won four of the previous five meetings, with Gateshead claiming just one victory.