Heed blitz Billingham in Durham Cup
JJ O’DONNELL scored with a shot from inside his own half as Gateshead romped to a 4-0 win over Billingham Town in the Durham Challenge Cup first round.
The Heed, who fielded eight professionals for the cup tie, took the lead through one of their two academy starters, Lewis McGeogh, who scored the first two goals.
The young striker, who has been training with the first-team squad, scored in each half and went close to grabbing his hat-trick.
Out-of-favour wide man Connor Thomson and O’Donnell scored late in the game against Northern League second-division leaders Billingham.
Gateshead also gave a first run out to Konstandinos Dabizas, the son of former Newcastle central defender and ex-Greece international Nikos.
But manager Steve Watson – another former Magpies man – resisted the temptation to give on loan attackers Luke Armstrong and Luke Molyneux some minutes.
Boro front man Armstrong hasn’t started a game since August, but wasn’t risked ahead of Saturday’s National League home game against Aldershot.
Finley Hayhurst, signed from Australian football, almost gave the Heed an early lead but his shot was tipped onto the bar.
McGeogh broke the deadlock eight minutes from half-time after good work from Thomson.
McGeogh doubled the advantage nine minutes into the second period after he took Cameron Salkeld’s through ball to round the Town keeper.
Former Blackburn Rovers trainee Thomson cracked home the third from 25-yards off the post with 12 minutes left.
O’Donnell then bettered that super strike on 84 minutes when he lobbed Billingham keeper Nick Cranston from inside the Heed half.