Manny Duku scored a debut goal to give Jimmy McNulty’s men a half-time lead, with a second from Ryan East securing the points late on.
Oliver Whatmuff made a welcome return from injury in between the sticks, whilst there were debuts for Duku and Callum Perry, who both joined in the week. Fellow new arrival Bryant Bilongo was on the bench.
It was the hosts who had the first sight of goal, when former Dale loanee Levi Amantchi got behind the defence. However, skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell got back superbly to put a challenge in and prevent the striker from getting a meaningful shot away.
From then on, it was Dale making all the running. Kyron Gordon saw a prod goalwards rebuffed by another former Dale loanee, goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks, with Allarakhia unable to turn the rebound goalwards.
Devante Rodney had an effort held, and another deflected over, whilst Duku hit one off target from outside the area, and Jake Burger had a shot well blocked.
Just after the half-hour mark, Dale took the lead. A neat one-two between Godon and Tobi Adebayo-Rowling allowed the former to play a ball in behind for Rodney. He sent a perfectly weighted ball across the area for debutant Duku, who slid in for his first goal.
The striker could have had a second just three minutes later, after East won the ball high up the pitch. He drove forward and laid it off to Duku, who saw a shot saved by Brooks.
After the break, the hosts began to see more of the ball. Jacob Butterfield and Louis Storey both had shots well blocked, whilst Amantchi dragged one wide and Mark Beck headed into the arms of Whatmuff.
Dale came close to doubling the lead just before the hour mark when Gordon’s ball in from the right was sliced into the air by a defender, and only heroic defending on the line prevented Duku from tapping home.
Amantchi headed off the bar as the hosts began to put crosses into the Dale area, with Aidan Elliott-Wheeler steering a deep ball into box wide.
The three points were sealed when Adebayo-Rowling’s cross from the right found East on the edge of the area, who slammed home into the near corner to double the lead and secure the win.
Gateshead XI | Brooks, Ferguson ©, Elliott-Wheeler, Ward, Bowen (55’ Beck), Butterfield (79’ Melbourne), Newton (79’ Telford), Amantchi, Chadwick (79’ Home), Storey (68’ John), Nicholson.
Unused subs | Flint, Edwards.
Dale XI | Whatmuff, Gordon, East, Ebanks-Landell ©, Allarakhia (59’ Bilongo), Gilmour, Rodney (66’ McBride), Adebayo-Rowling, Burger (75’ Pettit), Perry (75’ Tutonda), Duku (59’ Henderson).
Unused subs | Moss, Smith.
Scorers | 32’ Duku, 87’ East.
Attendance | 887 (359 Dale fans).
