Alty moved up to fourth with this fine win at the International Stadium. It was Alty's fifth successive victory in the National League, an achievement last recorded in 1995.

However, this clash between two of the four most prolific teams in the National League produced a goalless first half. Alty started well but, by the interval, Gateshead had been the better team in terms of territory.

Before half-time, Alty were indebited to a fine reaction save by Ross from Francis's point-blank effort which kept them level (40 mins).

For some reason, the gamehad kicked off more than six minutes late and there was a further hiatus when referee Marsden had to be replaced by the fourth official Scott Henry just after the half-hour mark.

Two minutes into the second half Altrincham took advantage of Booty's dwelling on the ball as Conn-Clarke dispossessed him and fed Amaluzor, who finished well into the bottom corner of the net to give his side a 0-1 lead.

The visitors remained on top till the hour mark after which the Heed came back at them.

But after withstanding some pressure from Gateshead, Alty made it 2-0 in added time as Alty won a freekick just inside their own half on the left. Quickly taken by Newby the freekick set Angus free and his shot was parried for fellow substitute Donawa to net (90+3 mins).

SCORERS:

• 47 mins: Justin AMALUZOR (Gateshead 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 90(+3) mins: Justin DONAWA (Gateshead 0 ALTRINCHAM 2)

Captain James Jones was restored to the starting eleven for Altrincham as Dior Angus dropped to the bench. So, there was no recognised striker in the starting eleven.

For the Heed, Wearne was suspended so Hunter came in and Allan was brought in on the bench.

LINE-UPS:

GATESHEAD (White and black): 1. Archie Mair, 2. Robbie Tinkler, 5. Kenton Richardson, 18. Joe Grayson, 15. Jordan Hunter, 19. Luke Hannant, 3. Regan Booty, 8. Ed Francis, 10. Greg Olley (c), 21. Connor McBride, 9. Marcus Dinanga. Subs: 6. Louis Storey. 7. Tom Allan, 16. Aidan Rutledge, 17. Connor Pani, 23. Billy Chadwick

ALTRINCHAM (All dark blue, with yellow sash on shirts): 29. Ethan Ross, 2. Lewis Banks, 15. Jake Cooper, 4. Lewis Baines, 3. Eddy Jones, 5. James Jones (c), 6. Elliot Osborne, 8. Isaac Marriott, 11. Justin Amaluzor, 30. Alex Newby, 10. Chris Conn-Clarke. Subs: 16. Sam Roscoe, 17. Justin Donawa, 14. Dior Angus 18. Owen German, 21. Matt Gould.

It was almost exactly a year since Altrincham had won the corresponding match last season, 3-1. Today the sides met with both in much better positions as fourth-placed Gateshead welcomed sixth-placed Altrincham.

For some reason the game kicked off some six minutes late and it was the visitors who started by far the better.

Inside the first minute Altrincham almost scored with a passing move culminating in Eddy Jones' cross towards Banks who was challenged by Grayson before he could get his shot away. Despite appeals for a penalty, play continued and it was not long beore Marriott got in a shot which cleared the bar, as Conn-Clarke went down in the box under a challenge which left him on the deck but their appeared to be little if any contact.

Gateshead now began to come to life and, after a free kick by Francis, Dinanga went down claiming a penalty for a clear shirt-pull by Banks but, like Banks's own appeal earlier, his was rebuffed by Mr Marsden (9 mins).

The Heed now won two corners, the second gained from a volley by Booty which was deflected by Cooper (15 mins). Ross punched the corner clear befor his counterpart Mair was in action at the other end when Conn-Clarke attempted unsuccesssfuly to chip the ball past him from an Osborne feed (16 mins).

Gateshead now got in a shot which Ross saved comfortably before another effort, from Booty, came to nothing. Next, a wild challenge on Banks earned McBride a yellow card (23 mins).

This prompted a rash of bookings with Amaluzor's sliding tackle earning him a caution (26 mins) before Osborne's obstruction saw him booked just a minute later, too.

Altrincham soon got forward again as Marriott fed Banks, whose shot won a corner, which Cooper headed wide (30 mins).

The referee, Paul Marsden, now stopped the game as he had suffered an injury and he was replaced by the fourth official, Scott Henry (32 mins).

When Conn-Clarke ws manhandled by a Gateshead man he surprisingly escaped a card from the new referee (36 mins).

In retrospect, a turning point in the match was a brilliant point-blank reaction save by Ross as he pushed Francis's effort onto the bar (40 mins).

After Steve Foster, the Alty kitman, had had to instruct Mr Marsden, now acting as the fourth official, in using the added time display; the crocked referee had initially held up 33 rather than three added minutes. That period saw Booty booked for a barge (45+2 mins).

After this Eddy Jones forced a save from Mair. But, before the half concluded, a collision between two Gateshead men (McBride and Francis) prolonged the game for a further two minutes, before the goalless first half was finally concluded.

Gateshead had enjoyed more possession and territory but Altrincham had arguably given Mair a busier afternoon than Ross, apart from the latter's excellent save from Francis.

In just the second minute of the second half, as Booty dwelt on the ball, Conn-Clarke dispossessed him and, despite claims for a foul, the Alty man fed Amaluzor who netted efficiently, driving the ball into the bottom corner of the net to put Altrincham one up.

One goal almost became two when Osbone fed Conn-Clarke, but his shot from an acute angle was off target (48 mins). Altrincham continued to impress as Amaluzor got up the right but his cross found no team-mate (53 mins).

Altrincham continued to set the pace and Conn-Clarke soon won a corner with another angled shot, this time on target, which Mair saved well (57 mins).

Mike Williamson made his first change on the hour mark with Hunter being replaced by Chadwick. Things did improve for the hosts after the change with Francis forcing a routine save from Ross soon afterwards.

A few minutes later Ross had to make a better save from Francis from Grayson's pass. At the other end, when Amaluzor's run was halted by Francis's foul, the Gateshead man escaped a booking (66 mins).

Now came Altrincham's first change with striker Angus replacing Conn-Clarke who did not seem to have fully recovered from his knock to the head earlier in the game (68 mins).

Moments after the change, a good move from Alty involving Amaluzor and Osborne saw Angus get in a cross but no team-mate was in the goalmouth, though a corner followed (71 mins).

Next, Newby forced a save from Mair before Rutledge came on for the league's leading scorer, Dinanga, who had had a quiet game against his former employers (73 mins).

After a foul on Banks and a foul by Osbirne, Pani replaced Grayson for Gateshead (76 mins). Gateshead were to enjoy much of the forward momentum for the rest of the match but without seriously threatening an Alty defence which looked reasonably secure throughout.

In the first added minute Donawa came on for Amaluzor (90+1 mins). Soon afterwards Angus was fouled and their quick-thinking meant that Alty took the freekick without delay. This allowed Angus to get free and, although his shot at goal was parried by Mair, Donawa was on hand to score a second goal for Altrincham as the two substitutes combined effectively (90+3 mins).

Altrincham's win lifted them into fourth place and marked their fifth successive victory in the National League. The sequence is the more remarkable for being achieved with at least six players (Kosylo, Linney, Wilson, Joey Jones, Crankshaw, Sithole) on medium or long-term absence from the team or, in Sithole's case, effectively ending his loan spell.