Gateshead survived a late fightback to beat Hartlepool 4-3 after a dramatic finish at the International Stadium.
The hosts appeared to be cruising after the second of Tyrelle Newton’s goals had put them 3-1 up on the hour mark.
But veteran striker Gary Madine pulled one back with an 84th minute effort, and although Owen Oseni restored Gateshead’s two-goal advantage two minutes later, Madine then struck again in stoppage time to test home nerves.
Newton had put Gateshead in front in the 18th minute before a fine strike from Ben Worman doubled the hosts’ advantage just after the half hour.
Hartlepool pulled a goal back seconds later through Joe Grey’s curling effort before Worman set up Newton’s second.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.