GATESHEAD, England (Interstat) — Substitutes combined for four second-half goals as Gateshead and Morecambe played to a frenetic 4-4 draw in a National League match Wednesday at Gateshead International Stadium.

Morecambe’s Keaton Ward opened the scoring in the third minute, but Gateshead’s Christopher Popov, also a substitute, netted a hat trick to fuel the comeback. His third goal in the 53rd minute gave the hosts a 3-2 lead.

The visitors responded, with Billy Chadwick completing his own hat trick in the 73rd minute to knot the score at 4-4. The result defied pregame projections that heavily favored a Gateshead victory.

Both teams remain in the lower half of the table. The draw leaves Morecambe at 5-19-9 and Gateshead at 7-19-7 in league play.