GATESHEAD 1
Brown 26
ROCHDALE 0
GATESHEAD made it three wins in seven days in their first league meeting on Tyneside with Rochdale for 64 years – Derby County striker Dajaune Brown the Heed’s match winner.
The teenage sensation has scored freely during his loan spell and his opportunist strike just before the half hour proved decisive as an in-form Gateshead ground out a solid win.
Rob Elliot’s high-flyers had put seven goals past north-east rivals Hartlepool three days earlier, this victory more prosaic against a Dale side that mustered only three attempts on goal.
Elliot, still interim manager after five months, was delighted with another maximum. “It was a fantastic clean sheet and a really important win, especially on the back of a highly emotional game against Hartlepool on Tuesday,” he said.
“We had to deal with that and the extra game compared to Rochdale. Understandably we got a bit leggy, the pitch was dry, it was windy, so it wasn’t the most fluent game in the world.
“Overall every single person has been outstanding in the last week, three different types of performance but three very positive results for the club.”
Midfield lynchpin Ed Francis fashioned an early opening for Kieron Evans but the Cardiff City loanee scuffed his shot and former Heed man Jacob Chapman saved comfortably.
A few minutes later, however, Gateshead had the match winner. Francis’ delightful lob into the box saw Brown get betw
