Gateshead 2 Macc Town 1

Macc Town's title hopes suffered a huge blow at Gateshead, who defied the odds and sent their visitors home empty-handed.

With the loss Macc lost ground on Bristol Rovers and new leaders Barnet while the hosts will still harbour slim play-off hopes of their own.

Gateshead were missing nine men through injury and suspension but took the lead midway through the half. Macc failed to clear a bouncing ball and when it fell for Jamie Chandler his shot from outside the box somehow evaded Rhys Taylor and hit the centre of the goal.

But that advantage was wiped out within a minute by George Pilkington. Paul Turnbull won a corner via a phenomenal effort bound for the top corner and just tipped wide by Adam Bartlett. The skipper lofted it in and centre-back Pilkington evaded the Heed defence to thump his header past a now-helpless Bartlett.

There were other chances in an unexpectedly bright first half, with Matthew Barnes-Homer forcing a decent, if slightly more straightforward, save from Bartlett and Michael Rankine going close three times for Gateshead.

The out-of-favour striker, in a recall borne of necessity, found the inside of the upright from Matty Pattison's low cross as well as rasping a shot that will have warmed Taylor's palms, and heading a third chance wide under a vital challenge from Paul Lewis.

But although Pilkington almost scored a carbon-copy of his goal shortly after the restart, Bartlett getting across well to palm the second one away, Macc were overrun in the second half and left empty-handed thanks to a winner from the home team's forgotten man, Rankine.

From Craig Baxter's cross on 67 minutes the big striker rose well to plant a looping header beyond Taylor and drop it inside the far post.

With Chris Holroyd spurning a fine chance from a Theo-Bailey-JOnes cross there was no way back for Macc this time, and they could even have fallen further behind as Lynden Gooch, who'd already rattled the post, forced a fine save from Taylor.

The keeper also denied Jon Shaw, a centre-forward filling in at the back but finding time to show the way to goal, while Baxter almost sealed it but cleared the bar after nicking the ball off Adriano Moke's toe.

They'd already done enough though, while Macc will need to bounce back next weekend when they host Nuneaton.