VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE

GATESHEAD 4 (Hannant 26, Bell 39, Burrow 49, York 70) BARROW AFC 1 (Livesey 8)


BARROW’S long unbeaten run had to come to an end sometime, but the manner of their defeat on the banks of the Tyne was a major disappointment, writes JEFF BOWRON.

Given the advantage of an early lead through captain Danny Livesey on his 32nd birthday, the Bluebirds were the livelier side in the opening quarter of an hour.

But they struggled from then on, and Gateshead were ahead before the break through first goals for the club from rookie pair Luke Hannant and Nyal Bell.

A Jordan Burrow goal four minutes into the second half meant a revival was unlikely, with Wes York adding a fourth with 20 minutes remaining.

Barrow struggled badly at the back against a makeshift Gateshead side that had not won in seven league outings.

The Heed had also found home victories problematic, winning just two of their previous 11 at their cavernous 11,850 all-seater International Stadium.

It had all appeared to be going to form when former Gateshead loanee Nick Anderton’s eighth-minute ball behind the defence saw an unmarked Livesey score at the back post from almost on the line.

Jordan Williams, back from suspension, had earlier had a shot deflected into the side-netting, the Bluebirds looking sharp early on and in the ascendancy.

The Gateshead back line was shaky initially but they got a grip as the North Easterners got a foothold in the game.

Williams became the first of seven bookings on the day before midfield man Hannant profited from weak Bluebirds defensive play.

Teenage former Rochdale striker Bell got between Alex-Ray Harvey and Shaun Beeley too easily just outside the left side of the box to tee-up Hannant.

The 22-year-old’s shot was powerful but beat Andy Coughlin at his near post and the stand-in keeper will be disappointed he didn’t do better.

Coughlin then tipped over from Burrow’s 15-yard header before he was beaten again six minutes before the interval, this time blameless.

The Bluebirds were undone by a quick Gus Mafuta free-kick, taken five yards from where Burrow had been fouled by Moussa Diarra.

Bell slid an angled shot into the far corner off the inside of the post, then Diarra almost levelled with an overhead kick that came back off the post.

Paul Cox’s men needed to regroup during the interval but they found themselves further behind early in the second period.

Right-back Shaun Beeley had a torrid afternoon and when he was undone by Paddy McLaughlin’s pass York crossed for Burrow to get between Diarra and Anderton to make it three.

A Manny Smith foul on Williams saw the latter whip in a free-kick on the hour that Gateshead’s former Carlisle keeper Dan Hanford managed to block under pressure.

It was a rare moment of anxiety for the Welshman, however, and Barrow were put out of their misery by another well-worked goal.

Burrow eased past Beeley on the left flank near halfway to send York on a run to goal, the wide man holding off Livesey to dink the ball over the advancing Coughlin.

The only plus point for an outgunned Barrow was that they did not concede any further goals, though York should have done better than shoot wide when well-placed.

The dispirited Bluebirds rarely threatened, though substitute Liam Hughes was slipped in on 90 minutes, only for his shot to be blocked by Liam Hogan.

AFC’s superb 26-game unbeaten run in all competitions stretching back to August was well and truly over, and they will now focus on making history in the FA Cup against Rochdale at Holker Street this weekend.