Late spot of bother is agony for Burrow
GATESHEAD were in today’s FA Trophy third round draw - but face a tough second round replay at Boreham Wood tomorrow.
A 15-minute hat-trick from substitute Jordan Burrow, his first for the club, looked to have given the Heed a stunning comeback victory.
The Wood scored twice early in the second half and were in cruise mode against a limp Gateshead until Burrow converted a 77th-minute penalty.
That was the catalyst for the Heed to roar back, Burrow powering home two six-yard headers to claim the match ball.
An uneventful tie had unexpectedly roared into life but there was to be a sting in the tail for Steve Watson’s draw specialists.
Gateshead conceded their seventh penalty of the campaign five minutes into stoppage time, Wood substitute Bruno Andrade making it 3-3 from the spot.
Four goals had been scored in the last 18 minutes of a game transformed from tepid to thriller late in the afternoon.
Burrow, who came on for the injured Richard Peniket on the half hour, was delighted to end his goal drought - but ultimately frustrated.
He said: “I am absolutely delighted on a personal level to get the hattrick but to concede a last-gasp equaliser was cruel.
“Conceding when you think the game is wrapped up leaves a bit of a sour taste in the mouth.
“We showed a lot of grit and determinination to get back into the game and then get ahead, so we will go there confident of a win.”
Two goals inside five minutes after the break from Kieran Murtagh and Kane Smith looked to have ended Gateshead’s Wembley dreams.
However, a foul on Wes York saw Burrow provide hope when previously there was none, lively substitute Jordan Preston again the architect for the equaliser.
Burrow buried a header and repeated the feat in stoppage time after a superb run from the edge of his own box by Scott Barrow and another pinpoint cross.
The Wood, however, had an influential substitute of their own, topscorer Andrade fouled by Jamal Fyfield and dispatching the 95thminute spot kick.
Gateshead manager Steve Watson said: “It was a roller-coaster of a day and we showed tremendous courage to get back into the game.”