Match ends, Gateshead 3, Lincoln City 1.
Gateshead kept their play-off hopes alive with a dominant win over mid-table Lincoln City.
Veteran striker Jack Lester, making his full debut, put Gateshead in front early on, curling home from 25 yards.
The advantage was doubled just before half-time when Jamie Chandler volleyed in JJ O'Donnell's cross.
Substitute Jon Nolan pulled one back for the visitors but Ryan Noble's finish secured the points before Lincoln's Thierry Audel was sent off.
Lincoln City manager Gary Simpson told BBC Radio Lincolnshire:
"They play in such a way that if you don't go and press them and take chances they just keep possession and they had two shots in the first half and scored two goals.
"In the second half we decided to make a change and went with an extra player in midfield and another further forward and go man for man in every area of the pitch and I thought in the second half we out-footballed the football team.
"I thought we were terrific and if Todd (Jordan) had scored to make it 2-2 there would only have been one winner then. At 2-2 the momentum would have been with us.
"(The sending off) looked like two of our players collided and hit one of their players who they didn't know was there, but the referee sends Thierry off and says it's a dangerous tackle. I'm absolutely dumbfounded by that decision.
"But I can't fault my players, they've been terrific to come back in the second half in the way they did. We were braver in the second half and that might be something we learn from in the future."
Line-ups
Gateshead
- 1Bartlett
- 5CurtisBooked at 77mins
- 16Baxter
- 6ClarkBooked at 85mins
- 8Turnbull
- 18Marwood
- 29OsterSubstituted forRamshawat 63'minutes
- 4Chandler
- 17WalkerSubstituted forMagnayat 65'minutes
- 38O'Donnell
- 19LesterSubstituted forNobleat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 21Ramshaw
- 2Magnay
- 27Holt
- 11Cummins
- 35Noble
Lincoln City
- 30Townsend
- 5AudelBooked at 90mins
- 2Miller
- 3Newton
- 23Brown
- 26Adams
- 4JordanSubstituted forRoweat 86'minutes
- 12Sheridan
- 24Mendy
- 7ArthurSubstituted forNolanat 46'minutes
- 11TomlinsonBooked at 76mins
Substitutes
- 9Rowe
- 17Dixon
- 31Preece
- 19Nolan
- 15Gray
- Referee:
- Peter Banks
- Attendance:
- 804
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home51%
- Away49%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away3
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away1
- Corners
- Home0
- Away0
- Fouls
- Home4
- Away16
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Gateshead 3, Lincoln City 1.
Post update
Foul by Jon Nolan (Lincoln City).
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Jamie Chandler (Gateshead) wins a free kick.
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Attempt blocked. James Marwood (Gateshead) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Foul by Arnaud Mendy (Lincoln City).
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James Marwood (Gateshead) wins a free kick.
Dismissal
Thierry Audel (Lincoln City) is shown the red card for fighting.
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Foul by Thierry Audel (Lincoln City).
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Jamie Chandler (Gateshead) wins a free kick.
Substitution
Substitution, Lincoln City. Danny L. Rowe replaces Todd Jordan.
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Corner, Lincoln City.
Booking
Ben Clark (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Ben Clark (Gateshead).
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Jake Sheridan (Lincoln City) wins a free kick.
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Foul by Ben Tomlinson (Lincoln City).
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Carl Magnay (Gateshead) wins a free kick.
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Corner, Gateshead.
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Foul by Charlee Adams (Lincoln City).
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Rob Ramshaw (Gateshead) wins a free kick.