Eastleigh 1-1 Gateshead: Obileye rescues a point with second goal in as many games

Eastleigh extended their unbeaten run to four matches with this draw against one of the National League’s form teams.

After a dire first half, the Spitfires went behind in the 57th minute to Gus Mafuta’s low shot from the edge of the area.

But they equalised within a couple of minutes courtesy of Ayo Obileye’s second goal in as many games.

After three successive wins, that was the way it stayed against a play-off-chasing Gateshead side that had only dropped four points from 27 going into this game.

Eastleigh manager Richard Hill named the same side that started Tuesday night’s 3-2 win at Torquay United, where defender Obileye scored the Spitfires’ second goal.

After an immaculate minute’s silence for those who died during Wednesday’s atrocity in Westminster, the Spitfires started promisingly when Sam Matthews fed James Constable in the opening minute with a sublime through ball.

But Constable’s cross from the left was gathered by Gateshead goalkeeper James Montgomery – and that was as good as a it got before half-time.

At least Matthews continued to impress with his eye for a pass.

Trouble was, there was precious little cutting edge from the home side.

Matt Tubbs’ shot was deflected through to Montgomery and centre-half Liam Hogan headed back to his keeper under pressure from the former Crawley Town striker.

Michael Green saw a shot deflected over the bar and Gateshead midfielder Mafuta did well to cut out a Matthews through ball to Ryan Burge.

Gateshead forward Jordan Burrow went off for treatment on a head wound and a rare blemish from Matthews, a shanked a left-footed corner, summed up a woeful opening period.

Obileye, the left-sided of Eastleigh’s three centre-halves in the new system that has worked so well for Hill’s men of late, was booked for a foul on Wes York on the edge of the Easteigh penalty area.

When the delivery was cleared, the Spitfires swiftly countered, the move ending when Tubbs’ first-time left-footer went narrowly wide of the angle of post and crossbar.

There was more excitement in the opening minute of the second half than there was in the previous 45 as Constable rounded Montgomery and struck the outside of the post from the byline.

Constable also had a shot blocked after following Burge’s tackle in the centre circle. Burge threatened himself from the resulting throw-in, lobbing narrowly over the bar from inside the Gateshead penalty area.

Matthews was on the end of a few welcome-to-the-National League challenges, including a cruncher from Mafuta that left the Cherries loanee limping gingerly away.

Mafuta made a decisive contribution shortly afterwards, firing in the first goal of the afternoon in the 57th minute.

But Eastleigh were level within two minutes, Obileye stabbing in the equaliser from close range in front of the new-look Shed End.

The ball was fired back into a packed penalty area by Green and when Burge intercepted it, Obileye was there to net his fourth Eastleigh goal and his second in as many games, as Gateshead appealed in vain for offside.

Hakeem Odoffin was booked for a foul that forced Gateshead left wing-back George Smith to limp off midway through the second half.

Shortly afterwards Eastleigh made a double change up top with Scott Wilson and Craig McAllister coming on for Constable and Tubbs.

A brilliant run down the left from Gateshead No 9 Johnson was followed by a cross that Eastleigh were relieved to see flash across Graham Stack’s six-yard box with no white shirt on hand to convert.

Wilson responded in kind before he was crowded out on the edge of the Gateshead area.

Stack produced his first save of note in the 73rd minute, diving low to his left and holding on to Patrick McLaughlin’s scuffed left-footer following a good run down the left from Jamal Fyfield.

Obileye went down after a clash of heads before Johnson fired a left-footer across goal and narrowly wide of the far post.

Johnson was thwarted by Stack with ten minutes left.

The Eastleigh goalkeeper came out of his area to block the shot after the Gateshead striker was put clean through.

Gavin Hoyte was booked for a foul 15 yards inside the Eastleigh half and when the resulting free kick was headed goalwards, Fyfield’s shot from the follow-up was also blocked.

In injury time, Eastleigh were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Gateshead area.

Stearn’s shot was blocked and Togwell also had a swing at it before Wilson shot wide as the Spitfires appealed in vain for handball.

With the last kick of the game, Wilson should have won it. McAllister did brilliantly to tee him up with a slide-rule pass along the edge of the box.

But Wilson scuffed the opportunity and Montgomery made a comfortable save.

Hill said: “We need to be better with the ball, but we look more organised than we did six weeks ago.

“We looked a bit leggy in the last ten to 15 minutes, the formation we play is asking a lot of the three midfielders.

“But it was a good response to going behind. Credit to the lads, they deserved that.”

Eastleigh: Stack, Hoyte, Reid, Obileye; Odoffin, Burge (Stearn 80), Togwell, Matthews, Green; Constable (McAllister 67), Tubbs (Wilson 67).
Subs not used: Dugdale, Cole.

Gateshead: Montgomery, M Smith, Hogan, Fyfield, Brundle, Mafuta, McLaughlin, G Smith (Bolton 65); York, Johnson, Burrow. Subs not used: Hanford, Ajala, Bell, Green.

Attendance: 2,393