ALFRETON Town were given a second sharp lesson in finishing as Gateshead completed a Blue Square North double.

The Reds' 3-1 home defeat was a far from ideal start to 2009, given that they still hope to mount a push for the play-offs.

After losing 3-0 at Gateshead in August, Alfreton had only tasted league defeats at the hands of Droylsden and Gainsborough Trinity since – both at home – but, had it not been for the agility of keeper Kyle Sutcliffe, Saturday's margin of defeat might have been higher.

First-half goals from Stephen Turnbull and Lee Novak left the Reds with a mountain to climb after the break.

And despite Kyle McFadzean smashing the ball against the foot of the post from 20 yards in the 69th minute, the Reds found themselves trailing further when Novak struck again seven minutes from time.

A late consolation in the second minute of added time, when Paul Clayton's header helped a goal-bound shot from Tom Curtis to beat visiting keeper Paul Musselwhite, was just about all that Alfreton deserved from a lacklustre performance riddled with defensive errors.

The opening goal, after 20 minutes, was the result of a neat move that culminated in Novak slipping the ball square for Turnbull to rifle in from 16 yards.

Gateshead had been given far too much room to manoeuvre in the build-up.

The second goal, almost on half-time, came when Novak beat last defender Paul Ellender rather too easily before cutting in from the right and prodding the ball past the exposed Sutcliffe.

If that wasn't bad enough, the third goal bordered on embarrassment for the Reds.

McFadzean and Jordan Hall collided on the halfway line as they both chased a routine clearance, leaving Jamie Harwood with a clear stroll towards goal.

As Sutcliffe narrowed the angle, Harwood presented the supporting Novak with a simple tap-in.

Sutcliffe's saves included a defiant double block from Wayne Phillips' angled drive and the follow-up from Alex Francis in the 76th minute, while earlier he had stopped Stephen Turnbull's 16th- minute shot low on the line.

He then thwarted Francis with his legs when Harwood sent him through in the 63rd minute.

At the other end, Musselwhite clutched Clayton's ninth-minute header under the bar and the keeper also turned aside Ben Muirhead's measured drive from Matt Wilson's 54th-minute through-ball.

But, generally, Alfreton simply could not put Gateshead under enough pressure and their frustrations were added to when substitute Tony Butler was cautioned while warming up in the 41st minute.