Altrincham rescued a point with a scrappy 87th minute equaliser from Alex Newby after dominating the opening the stages of the game. Alty took a twentieth minute lead from the penalty spot when they were awarded a fortuitous penalty for handball from a Jones cross. Crawford rolled in the spot kick.

But the hosts failed to convert their dominance into any goals from open play and were stunned by a 32nd minute equalizer when Butterfield fired home a fierce low shot from 23 yards.

And it got worse, eight minutes later, when referee Copeland yet again ignored what seemed a clear foul to allow the ball to come to Oseni who, from the left, fired across Ross and found the net off the base of the far post (40 mins).

The second half saw a much improved performance from Gateshead as Alty laboured to create any clear chances. Finally they levelled when a looping cross from Jones on the left dropped into the goalmouth where Newby got the ball over the line in a bit of a scramble.

However, rather then the hosts pushing for a winner in the six added minutes, it was Gateshead who pressed for the decider as Alty brought on Banks to shore up their defence.

So the points were shared which was probably a fair outcome but it was a game in which Alty should have pressed home their dominace of the first half-hour but failed to do so.

Worryingly for Altrincham goalkeeper Ethan Ross suffered a shoulder injury and played the last 35 minutes plus added time seemingly less than fully fit.

SCORERS:

• 20 mins: Tom CRAWFORD (penalty) (ALTRINCHAM 1 Gateshead 0)
• 32 mins: Jacob BUTTERFIELD (ALTRINCHAM 1 Gateshead 1)
• 40 mins: Owen OSENI (ALTRINCHAM 1 Gateshead 2)
• 87 mins: Aex NEWBY (ALTRINCHAM Gateshead)

Before the match it was interesting to see not only long-term absentees Isaac Marriott and Justin Donawa kicking a ball to each other and for Donawa then to do some sprints up and down the pitch. Another player sidelined by injury, Elliot Osborne, was also involved in some of the warm-up.

Less active were other injured squad members, Jake Cooper and Ollie Crankshaw who were seated in the directors' box.

From the Altrincham side beaten in midweek at Solihull, out to the bench went Banks, Amaluzor and Linney, who were replaced by Humbles, Golden and Bickerstaff. Matty Kosylo dropped out of the squad.

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1. Ethan ROSS, 23. Tylor GOLDEN, 31. Charlie OLSON, 4. Lewis BAINES (c), 3. Eddy JONES, 22. Tom CRAWFORD, 15. Liam HUMBLES, 19. George WILSON, 20. Kharel REDDIN, 10. Alex NEWBY, 29. Jake BICKERSTAFF. Subs: 2. Lewis BANKS, 9. Regan LINNEY, 11. Justin AMALUZOR, 16. James JONES, 21. Max HAYGARTH, 24. Joe NUTTALL, 30. Harvey RANDLE (gk)

GATESHEAD (Black shirts and socks, maroon shorts) 1. Tiernan Brooks, 16. Ben Radcliffe, 3. Brandon Haunstrup, 46. Daniel Jones, 19. Luke Hannant, 23. Tyrell Newton, 8. Regan Booty (c), 10. Callum Whelan, 34. Charlie Colkett, 4. Jacob Butterfield, 9. Owen Oseni. Subs: 11. Ben Worman, 12. Kain Adom, 14. Jean Belehouan, 17. Mark Beck, 27. Josh Home, 30. Oli Basey (gk), 45. Jovan Malcolm.

Both teams had exited the FA Cup in midweek but whereas the Heed had lost in 90 minutes at home, Alty had endured 120 minutes and a penalty shoot as well as a trip to the West Midlands for their defeat at the hands of Solhull Moors.

For Gateshead, this was Carl Magnay's first league game in charge since being confirmed as permanent manager.

Before the game, as part of a Diversity Day initiative, local residents and Paralympian medal winners Neil and Lora Fachie, with their son Fraser, were presented to the spectators by press and media officer, Brian Flynn.

The kick off was put back to 3.05pm owing to the late arrival of the visitors and they kicked off towards the Golf Road end in bright sunshine. The game started in frantic manner before Reddin impressed by getting into the box, on the right, He laid the ball back for Humbles but he screwed his shot disappointingly well wide, to the keeper's right (6 mins)

Alty soon won two corners, the second gained from more skilful play by Reddin (9 mins). Haunstrup's late challenge on Bickerstaff was missed by Mr Copeland who was also to turn a blind eye to repated holding of the Wrexham loanee by Gateshead defenders.

The hosts had been the better side before Gateshead's Hannant earned their first corner (15 mins).

Then as Newby advanced on the left, Eddy Jones's resulting low cross was deemed to have been handled and a penalty was signalled. Crawford, who had missed a penalty in midweek, stepped up and rolled the ball into the net as Brooks dived to his right (20 mins).

Alty continued to dominate as a well-struck shot from outside the box by Wilson was deflected for a corner (21 mins). Then, a clever flick by Newby set Reddin advancing up the right where his shot was also deflected for a corner.

After this, Crawford was booked for holding Oseni (25 mins); it was his fourth league booking this season, leaving him like Banks, just one more card away from a suspension.

Moments later Gateshead's Jones was also booked, for a trip on Humbles (26 mins). Despite a second misplaced kick of the afternoon by Ross, Altrincham were playing well as the half-hour mark passed.

Yet they were not adding to their single-goal advantage. From their next half-chance Olson headed wide at the back post from a Golden cross from the left (31 mins).

Then, out of nothing, Alty paid the price for their lack of clinical finishing when Gateshead equalised. An advance on their right produced a lay-off inside to Butterfield and the experienced midfielder drove a firm, low shot past the diving Ross and into the net (32 mins).

The goal prompted a spell of Gateshead being on the front foot as Hannant won a corner for the Tynesiders (34 mins). Five minutes later, Wilson lost the ball on the edge of the Heed box, to manager Parkinson's clear annoyance.

Gateshead advanced upfield where, as the ball was played from right to left, Humbles appeared to be fouled though Mr Copeland must have thought otherwise. The ball reached Oseni, left of goal, inside the box. The striker struck a well directed low shot across Ross which bounced into the net off the base of the far post to leave Alty trailing 1-2 (40 mins).

The visitors had shown an ability to finish clinically which had eluded the hosts.

Blatant holding of Bickerstaff continued unpunished by Mr Copeland, in this case well inside the box, with a corner not a penalty being the outcome (43 mins). As the interval approached Golden teed up Wilson but his effort cleared the bar (45 mins).

There was a late threat to Alty's goal when an Eddy Jones miskick allowed Oseni to advance on goal and win a corner but, thankfully, this came to nothing.

So ended a half in which Alty had been the better side for half an hour or more yet trailed to the imprving visitors who had shown how to finish more clinically.

Alty kicked off into the sun and towards the Golf Road and, for the third time in the game Wilson took a pot at goal but failed to hit the target (47 mins).

Gateshead started well and when Hannant fed Oseni it took a well timed challenge in the box to stop him getting in a shot (51 mins). When a high cross towards his backpost saw Ross fail to get the ball, the Alty keeper injured himself (53 mins). After lengthy treatment to his right shoulder he continued, though Randle had been prepared to replace him.

Alty had not yet got going after the interval when the injured Ross was forced to dive on his injurd right shoulder to keep out an on-target effort from Colkett at the cost of a corner (58 mins). From this, Ross was again called into action, saving a header.

Alty continued to be profligate in front of goal as Newby set up Humbles who skied his effort from 20 yards (60 mins).

At the other end Oseni got past Olson to earn a Gaeshead corner. Following this another Alty shot missed the target, this time from Reddin who fired across goal from the right after a good move (64 mins).

Following a Gateshead corner, Dan Jones headed wide before Linney and Amaluzor finally got ontpo the pitch after a long delay by the Alty management after the players had got into a readied state. Linney finally came on for Bickerstaff (67 mins) before Amaluzor replaced Wilson a few minutes later still (71 mins). In between these Altrincham changes a double Gateshead swap brought on Worman and Malcolm for Butterfield and Colkett respectively (70 mins).

As time ticked on Reddin was played in to the right of goal but the keeper advanced quickly to block him at the cost of a corner (75 mins). Next, Linney was booked for a late challenge on Brooks, the goalkeeper (79 mins).

The team changes continued to break up the flow of the contest, with Adom now replacing Newton and Alty's Nuttall coming on for Reddin who had looked his side's most lively attacker (81 mins).

Finally Alty got an equaliser. It came after an initial cross into the box had come back to Eddy Jones and his looping ball from the left towards the back post was converted at the second attempt by Newby from very close range (87 mins)

Any thoughts that Altrincham would build on their late equaliser, and on the assumed demoralisation of the visitors at conceding so late in the game, were immediately scotched. Firstly, Malcolm put in a threatening cross which went across the home goalmouth and then the same player won a corner as his deflected shot hit the side-netting from the right.

Gateshead continued on the front foot as Booty sliced a shot wide and Phil Parkinson responded by bringing on defender Banks for forward Newby (90+1 mins). Settling for the point was now the objective rather than pushing for the win.

In contrast the Heed sensed a late win and kept Alty penned back until the Robins finally got forward with Golden winning a corner (90+5 mins).

As play went beyond the declared minimum of six minutes Amaluzor fouled keeper Brooks (90+7 mins). But the last threat of the game was a Gateshead freekick for which the visitors brought on the tall forward Beck to replace Oseni (90+8 mins). But Alty held on to claim a point which left them in fourteenth place.

In the end a draw was a fair outcome but had Alty been able to build on their first half lead it might have ben a very different story.