Gateshead 4-0 Gainsborough Trinity
GATESHEAD progressed to the First Round of the FA Cup after a comprehensive victory against Gainsborough Trinity.
The Heed took their time to get going against the Conference North outfit, but were in complete command of the game after taking the lead late in the first-half.
They could have drawn first blood after only four minutes. Craig Baxter swung in a fine cross from the right, which the unmarked Rob Ramshaw glanced narrowly wide of the far post.
The Tynesiders were well on top early on, and again come close to opening the scoring on 12 minutes, as Tom Allan tried his luck from 30 yards, only for Trinity goalkeeper Jan Budtz to parry.
The tempo of the game dropped markedly as the half wore on. The hardworking Ramshaw glanced another headed effort wide on the half-hour mark, before skewing a shot off-target a minute later.
Half-time beckoned, and the two sides appeared destined to go into the interval goalless. But, with just seconds remaining before the break, Allan took aim again from distance – this time from almost 40 yards out. Although powerfully-struck, the shot appeared a simple take for Budtz, but the Danish stopper misjudged it horribly, and the ball bobbled beneath him and into the net.
It was to prove the boost the home side required, as they went on to put the Lincolnshire side to the sword in the second-half.
They could have doubled their lead on 53 minutes. John Oster carried the ball towards the visitors’ 18-yard box before playing in Lewis Guy, who sliced wide from close-range.
But the Heed did not have long to wait to extend their advantage. Substitute Carl Finnigan entered the fray and immediately looked a threat. On 64 minutes, he collected the ball in a deep position on the right flank, and hooked a cross into the six-yard box which strike-partner Danny Wright nodded beyond a helpless Budtz.
Within an instant, the Tynesiders had put the game to bed. Alex Rodman broke down the left after Trinity squandered possession, before cutting inside and burying his shot into the far corner of the net from 20 yards.
Wright almost capped off a superb Heed move on 71 minutes. Finnigan and fellow substitute Matty Pattison neatly worked the ball between themselves before the latter cleverly slid it through for Baxter. The right-back looped his cross into the heart of the visitors’ danger area, but Wright could only plant his header over the crossbar.
It was not to prove a costly miss, though, as Gateshead rounded off a fine second-half performance 14 minutes from time. The Trinity back-four completely switched off as Oster picked out Jon Shaw just inside the 18-yard box, and the frontman had all the time in the world to slot beyond a flat-footed Budtz.
Gateshead: Bartlett, Wilson, Curtis, Oster, Turnbull, Guy (Finnigan, 57), Ramshaw (Pattison, 69), Allan, Baxter, Rodman, Wright (Shaw, 70).
Goalscorers: Allan (45), Wright (64), Rodman (66), Shaw (76).
Gainsborough Trinity: Budtz, Roma, Picton, Quinn, Davie, Russell, Toner, Davis (Beesley, 55), Bateson (Higginson, 70), Beesley, Stamp (Roberts, 77).
Attendance: 824
Referee: Adrian Holmes
(Photography: Charlie Waugh).
