Heed set their sights on first awayday win
GATESHEAD’S search for a first away win of the season continues at newcomers AFC Fylde tonight.
The Heed were yesterday drawn away to Buxton in the fourth and final qualifying round of the FA Cup.
Yet before the Cup game a week on Saturday important league points are at stake on the Fylde coast and then at home to Bromley on Saturday.
Gateshead are breaking new ground at Mill Farm tonight.
“I have never been to Fylde so it is a ground I don’t know,” said manager Neil Aspin, still heavily linked with the vacant Port Vale job. “They had a very good win at Leyton Orient on Saturday.
“They will be confident but we will treat Fylde the way we treat everyone else and we will have to be at our best to get a result.”
Jordan Burrow will be a like-forlike replacement for Richard Peniket up front if the former Stevenage man is given his first start in six games.
The 25-year-old replaced former Halifax team-mate Peniket early in Saturday’s draw against Boreham Wood on Tyneside.
Aspin added: “Peniket went over on his ankle.
“It is badly swollen, so he will be out for a bit of time with that.”
Gateshead have drawn five of their last eight games and head for Lancashire in search of their first away win.
The Tynesiders are one of just four sides (the others are in the bottom five) still looking for their first maximum on the road.
The last two away games, however, have brought creditable draws at high-flying sides Sutton and Maidstone, the latter with 10 men.
It is a first meeting between Conference North champions AFC Fylde and Gateshead in league competition.
A Ryan Bowman goal, however, gave the Heed a narrow 1-0 success over the Coasters in an FA Trophy tie in February 2016.
Both sides are in the bottom half of the table and separated by two points, the Heed five points away from a play-off position.
Meanwhile, Buxton are in the bottom half of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League with five wins and six defeats from their 11 games.
The Derbyshire outfit, who have Gateshead defender Danny Burns on loan, have lost four of their five league games at Silverlands.