Relegated from a higher division and having and racked up an average of 50-plus points per game so far, Gateshead were big favouritres against NFC 2 Central mid-table team Terriers.
And the visitors showed their intentions early on at Canal Foot as they scored on their first two drives.
However, after those setbacks, the Walney offence came out strong, scoring early themselves through Callum Coldwell and taking the Senators by surprise with several big passes from quarterback Joe Allington hooking up with Coldwell. At the other end of the field, the Terriers defence frustrated Gateshead and resticted them to one more score in the half.
The Terriers attack continued to move the ball forward and soon found Chris Pedley charging in for a 10-yard running score. As the game progresssed, the Terriers defence clamped down on Gateshead’s heavy run style, and did not them allow them to score at will, as they have done against some teams in the division.
The Terriers needed two scores to get back into the game but would come up short on several drives, missing out on points required.
By the fourth quarter the Terriers finally established a running game to match an improved passing performance, but the Gateshead defence nullified any big gains to keep the home team from putting any more points on the board.
Despite defeat, the Terriers have turned another page as they continue to compete with some of the best in the division.
However, they face an uphill struggle, with back-to-back away fixtures coming up.
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