Aldershot Town produced a spirited performance to draw 2-2 at Gateshead in the National League on Saturday.

Former Shot Robbie Tinkler came very close to scoring a stunning opener for his current side in the fifth minute when his effort from 30 yards out dipped late and rattled the crossbar. Gateshead regained possession and forced Marcus Dewhurst to make a save to deny Tyrelle Newton.

The Shots were forced to rely on counter-attacks in the opening ten minutes and had their first chance of the game in the ninth minute as Josh Barrett sent Jack Barham down the right, but his return ball to Barrett was fired wide.

Barham assisted Barrett two minutes later as the Shots took the lead. James Henry played a superb through ball to Barham who beat the offside trap and squared it across Gateshead keeper Owen Mason for Barrett to finish into an empty net.

The lead lasted just eight minutes, however, as Gateshead equalised through top scorer Owen Oseni. Brandon Haunstrup delivered a cross from the left and Oseni rose highest at the back post to powerfully head in.

Jacob Butterfield forced Dewhurst into a save with an effort from 25 yards out before Christian Maghoma headed a Barrett corner wide a minute later as both sides exchanged chances.

Clever link-up play on the counter between Barham, Barrett and Henry in the 28th minute should have seen the Shots regain the lead as Barham headed just wide from Barrett's dinked cross.

Six minutes later, though, the hosts took the lead. Butterfield showed good feet on the edge of the Shots box to beat two defenders and get a shot away that Dewhurst could only parry into the path of Callum Whelan to score.

And they should have extended their lead two minutes later as a clever short corner between Butterfield and Whelan found Kain Adom in the middle who could only fire well over the bar from within the six-yard box.

Theo Widdrington fired an effort from outside the box wide just before half-time in the last chance of the half as the Shots went into the break behind.

Gateshead attempted to control possession at the start of the second half, but Barham got the Shots back on level terms in the 57th minute.

Dejan Tetek played a fabulous ball out to the right wing for Ashley Akpan to deliver first-time into the box. Henry forced a save from Mason but it fell kindly for Barham to smash the ball home.

Oseni came close to scoring a second in the 67th minute as he fired across goal after being found by Whelan.

The Shots nearly scored a winner on 86 minutes when a long Ryan Jones throw from the right was headed on by Rollin Menayese for Maxwell Mullins to force a smart stop from Mason.

Maghoma rattled the post in the third minute of stoppage time from a deep Jones free kick, but the assistant referee's flag was raised for offside.