The first round of the FA Cup is upon us and it will see Yeovil Town host possibly their hardest opponent yet, in high flying National League team Gateshead FC. (Storm Ciaran dependent)
The inform Town will be looking to upset the odds against a very strong Tynesiders team, but the prospect of extending the winning streak to 11 games as well as the Huish Park faithful should be enough to spur on the Mark Coopers men.
Gateshead recently lost manager Mark Williamson to MK Dons and have been under the stewardship of ex-Newcastle United keeper Rob Elliot. In his two games in charge so far, Elliot has one point from six.
Yeovil Town News
Manager Mark Cooper believes Gateshead will pose a difficult test. He said: “I like watching them in my spare time. I would say they’re the one of best if not the best pure football teams in the National League.
“They’re very similar to Notts County…If you take Chesterfield out of it, they’re the toughest test we could have got from the National League.”
The former Darlington man is hoping for a result either at the weekend. He said: ” We just spoke to the staff and if it’s nil-nil then one of us is going to run on to the pitch to score an own goal. It will be the worst thing for both teams with the amount of games coming up.”
A slight dilemma for Cooper could be up front where the recent purple patch from Jake Hyde has seen him rise into contention among the front line. With the likes of Rhys Murphy and Frank Nouble also competing for a similar role it will be a nice problem to have for the 54-year-old.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.
Jordan Young also spoke about the upcoming tie. He said: “We know how good they are but it’s similar to the Southend game, it’s a good chance to show what we can do.” Young also spoke about how “good a feeling” it would be to get to the second round of the Cup and compared the Cup fixtures to a “nice day out” as it takes your mind away from the league.
Jamie Sendles-White is the only player missing through injury.
Gateshead News
Rob Elliot feels the FA Cup will provide the perfect challenge for his young side as they make the long trip down to Somerset. He said: “By no means are we taking them lightly, it’s probably one of the toughest games we could’ve got, in terms of the travel, their form and the potential conditions. But I like that.”
The former Premier league shot stopper has “a lot of respect for Yeovil” and feels the Glovers are a “very good team” with “good, experienced players.”
FA Cup mode ??#WorClub ⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/OPsuhGHaDl
— Gateshead FC (@GatesheadFC) November 1, 2023
Town fans will know all about the exploits of the majority of this Gateshead squad after that fateful Tuesday night last season. The danger man so far this season for the Tynesiders has once again been frontman Marcus Dinanga who has netted 12 goals so far. Other key men for the National League side include Luke Hannant and Louis Storey. Greg Olley returns after sitting out his one game suspension.
Gateshead are without Carl Maganay (Injury), Robbie Tinkler (Injury).