GATESHEAD 0, RADCLIFFE BORO 1: BORO returned from the grand but soulless International Stadium with all three points in the bag - but they made hard work of it.

The home side mounted a grandstand finish but Boro should have been home and dry long before that, as chance after chance was wasted.

The dry and bumpy pitch didn't help, although Boro managed to show more control and greater method and fully deserved the win.

Rory Patterson partnered Phil Denney up front, with Davey Luker replacing the unavailable Simon Kelly in the middle of the defence.

Both teams struggled to come to terms with the pitch, although it was Boro who created the first real chance when Simon Carden blazed Richard Battersby's cross over the bar.

Gateshead almost capitalised on some sloppy play when Luker gave the ball away in the home half, but James Price rescued the situation with a timely interception.

Alex Benjamen fired a cross-shot wide for Gateshead, while Denney's effort at the other end was blocked.

Scott Wilson was always in the thick of things, while Patterson's pace threatened to unlock the home defence.

Twice the Northern Irishman made room on the edge of the area, but the finish didn't match the approach work.

Benjamen got clear again for Gateshead but dallied, allowing Luker to clear before Boro took a deserved lead in the 39th minute.

A Gateshead corner was cleared upfield where Patterson found his way blocked by James Curtis, but he cleverly held up play and it was fullback Lee Duffy who saw the chance, collecting Patterson's scooped pass to score.

Patterson then shot over from 20 yards before he missed a glorious chance to send Boro into the half-time break with a two goal advantage.

But he somehow contrived to fire Denney's low cross over from two yards out.

After the break Boro went all out for the clincher and Carden had a header cleared off the line when goalkeeper Liam Connell was caught off his line. Patterson then shot past the post after outstripping the home defence.

Duffy had a cross headed off the line, Battersby's inswinging corner suffered the same fate, and Wilson lobbed wide with Connell again off his line.

Boro's best chance to extend the lead came when Patterson released Carden, but the midfielder ran out of space after rounding the keeper.

The home side rarely looked threatening but had a glorious chance to equalise midway through the second half when Mark Atkinson got clear, only to be denied by a fine double save from Danny Hurst, who turned Michael Dibie's follow-up effort round the post.

This spurred the Tynesiders into a final effort and Boro were subjected to a late onslaught when they should have been home and dry.

Luker hacked clear in a goalmouth scramble and a series of corners were desperately defended.

Hurst was then injured as he bravely punched clear and Paul Challinor, who had been a tower of strength at the back for Boro, was taken off with a leg injury in the final minute.

BORO: Hurst, Duffy, Battersby, Luker, Challinor, Wilson, Marginson, Carden, Denney, Patterson, Price. Subs: Baguley, Spencer (for Marginson, 70), Hill (for Challinor, 90).