Youthful Heed look Well in friendly win
TWO WINS IN A WEEK FOR NEW-LOOK GATESHEAD
GATESHEAD sank Scottish topflight side Motherwell with three strikes from 20-year-old rookies.
The Vanarama National side secured a 3-2 win over the Well at Gateshead International Stadium to continue their strong start to pre-season.
With an average age of just 23, the Tynesiders have have assembled a youthful squad ahead of the new league season.
Macaulay Langstaff made it two goals in as many games after netting the winner against Dunston UTS last week.
Kieran Green and Tom White
(inset) then notched their first goals for the club with strikes from 22 yards, the latter taking a deflection.
But the gloss was taken off what should have been an emphatic victory when the Scots scored twice in injury time.
Slopping defending was punished when ex-Gateshead forward Ryan Bowman headed home and then Andy Rose scored a minute later.
But there was plenty to encourage manager Neil Aspin before then.
He said: “I’m really pleased with the way the players acquitted themselves. They’ve come out with a lot of credit from the game, there was a lot of pluses.
“It’s always difficult as a manager to get the balance of getting results in the short-term but building for the long-term.
“You want to get some younger players in your squad. It’s about getting the balance right and the finances right. Getting younger players help with that.”
Blyth Spartans gave a run out to eight trialists in their 1-1 pre-season draw at West Auckland Town.
Adam Wrightson gave Blyth a first-half lead but Nathan Fisher levelled with a 78th-minute penalty.