Toon lend helping hand to Heed’s Trophy task
UNITED TO RESCUE FOR O’S CLASH
NEWCASTLE United have come to local neighbours Gateshead’s aid as the Heed bid for FA Trophy glory.
Gateshead’s players returned to training yesterday following two days off after Newcastle allowed them to use their indoor training facilities.
That was a massive help in the Heed’s preparations for tomorrow’s big Trophy quarter-final replay against Leyton Orient on Tyneside.
Gateshead manager Steve Watson spent virtually the whole of the 1990s playing for Newcastle where he made more than 250 appearances.
With a thaw now taking place after several days of extreme weather, the race is on to ensure tomorrow’s game is not called off.
The snow is set to be removed from the International Stadium pitch and there should not be a problem with temperatures as the thermometer begins to rise.
A request to Leyton Orient to put the game back 24 hours to Wednesday fell on deaf ears, despite the Os having little time to turn around from the weekend.
Orient were beaten 1-0 at Dover on Saturday, in the only game in the top three divisions of nonleague football to take place.
Watson was thankful to his first club, Newcastle, for their generosity yesterday and now hopes tomorrow’s crunch tie can go ahead. Watson said: “To be able to use Newcastle’s large indoor facility was great as we’ve been limited in what we could do last week. “It was a new environment for the players and they’ll have another one tomorrow as we use the Northumberland Fusiliers’ facilities on the banks of the Tyne. “We were able just to tick over last week in the sports hall at the International Stadium while also using the gym. “With the weather being so bad, some of the lads who live away from Tyneside were having trouble getting to and from training.
“We’ve had a busy run of away fixtures clocking up a lot of miles, so we’ve been able to recharge the batteries and they’ve had a couple of days off.
“While Ben Fox is Trophy-tied, I’ve now got the luxury of a fully fit squad, so hopefully we’ll get the game on.
“Orient had to play at the weekend when obviously we didn’t.
“The break will have done us good, but it’s going to be a busy final two months.”
If tomorrow’s last-eight tie doesn’t go ahead, it is unclear when the game will be played, the two-legged semi-finals starting on Saturday week.
Should they prevail against Leyton Orient, the Heed will face either Bromley or local rivals Spennymoor Town in the semi-finals – two steps from Wembley.