Gateshead 0 Oxford United 1

Oxford returned to winning ways this afternoon at Gateshead, beating the Heed 1-0 in the sides' first meeting. Matt Green bundled the ball home following a deep cross in the 62nd minute, in a game that was high in tempo but low in entertainment.

Gateshead play their home games at the Gateshead International Athletics Stadium, a strange venue for football with a large running track surrounding the pitch and with the large away following housed on the opposite side of the pitch to the home crowd in a seated but roofless stand. This at least allowed the Oxford supporters to bask in the glorious Geordie sunshine, but it was deceptive because at pitch level there was a swirling wind that had a deleterious effect on the game.

For the first ten minutes Oxford were the better team, playing good football looking threatening. In the tenth minute Adam Murray released Green who swerved past a couple of tackles before shooting against the post. After this United went off the boil and Gateshead started to mount attacks of their own, although they rarely got behind the Oxford defence. Ryan Clarke made a routine parry from a long-rage Steven Richardson shot, but otherwise the Oxford keeper was largely untroubled. His opposite number, Paul Farman, was more troubled by wayward back passes from his defenders than by Oxford attacks, but the first period was largely forgettable.

United started the second half like the first, putting the home side onto the back foot. Jamie Cook went close and the away support thought United had scored when a Damien Batt effort rippled the side netting. United eventually got the goal that they probably deserved when a Steven Kinniburgh cross reached the back post and, after a couple of bobbles, Green somehow knocked the ball into the roof of the net. Jack Midson almost scored his second of the season, but Farman made the save of the game to deny him. At the other end Clarke was well protected, although United did concede rather too many free kicks in dangerous areas which a team with better finishing might have punished. This was a hard-fought win against a spirited, but not particularly useful, Gateshead side that look to have enough about them to avoid relegation, but won't be threatening the other end of the table without a dramatic improvement. For Oxford, the victory was obviously welcome, but wasn't particularly convincing and there is still plenty of scope for improvement.

Chris Wilder appears to have found his favoured line-up, as United remained unchanged from the side that lost at Mansfield Town on Tuesday. On the hour Midson replaced Cook, and quarter of an hour later Green went off for Adam Chapman. Deep into injury time Ross Perry came off the bench for his second United appearance, replacing Adam Murray.

Today's referee was Richard Wigglesworth, taking charge of an Oxford game for the first time. He had a decent first half, but started making a few strange decisions in the second period. Three Oxford players were shown yellow cards; Green, Batt, and Luke Foster. The attendance was 1,144, of whom an astonishing 548 were from Oxford. Big props to Mick from Galashiels, who started following Oxford after seeing them win the Milk Cup on television in 1986 and who was attending his first United game today.

The win sees Oxford extend their lead at the top of the Conference to eight points ahead of second-placed Kettering Town, who beat fifth-bottom Ebbsfleet United 3-0. Gateshead drop to 18th place. Stevenage Borough drop to third after requiring a stoppage-time goal to secure a 1-1 draw at home to Altrincham, while Mansfield have climbed to fourth following their 3-1 win over third-bottom Hayes & Yeading, courtesy of a Rob Duffy hat-trick that included two penalties. York City's 3-2 win over Kidderminster Harriers sees them occupy fifth place. Luton Town are up to sixth place after they came from 2-0 down to win 4-3 at ninth-placed Cambridge United, for whom Courtney Pitt scored the opener.

Bottom team Chester City visit Wrexham tomorrow, but they remain 22 points adrift of second-bottom Grays Athletic, who lost 2-1 at fourth-bottom Forest Green Rovers. United's opponents on Tuesday, Crawley Town, climbed to eighth after beating Rushden & Diamonds 2-1, with Jefferson Louis scoring Crawley's first and Craig Farrell on target for Rushden. Today's biggest winners were AFC Wimbledon, who beat Histon 4-0. Salisbury City beat Barrow 3-0, while Eastbourne Borough and seventh-placed Tamworth drew 1-1. [@news]2566[/@news][@opponent]gateshead[/@opponent]