GATESHEAD LUTON TOWN

THERE can’t be too many other people more wellplaced than Jon Shaw to comment on Gateshead’s FA Cup Second Round tie against Luton Town.

The veteran defender is now plying his trade with Evo-Stik North leaders South Shields, but served both Gateshead and Luton Town with distinction earlier in his career.

Shaw was part of the Hatters side that made it to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, beating the likes of Wolves and Norwich City, before succumbing to Millwall in the last 32. And he made history with Gateshead as they reached the Third Round for the first time in the club’s history in 2014-15.

The two sides meet at Gateshead’s International Stadium today, and it is the visitors who go into the tie as heavy favourites.

Luton are the top scorers in English football’s top seven tiers, but Shaw is refusing to rule out an FA Cup upset.

“It will be tough for Gateshead, there is no doubt about that,” admitted the 34-year-old. “But they have Steve Watson in charge now and they are still riding a bit of a crest of a wave after he came in. They have picked up since Steve came in and he will know that his side has to keep it secure at the back because Luton are flying.

“They have to stay in the game and frustrate Luton, they have to frustrate them for as long as they can. They have a nat- ural goalscorer in Danny Johnson and he can get them a goal from anywhere. It will be tough, but you just never know in the FA Cup.”

The match is also a special one for a man that shared a dressing room with Shaw at both Gateshead and Luton Town. Heed winger JJ O’Donnell spent almost two-and-a-half years out with Sesamoiditis and received support from his former club throughout.

Now he is back playing regularly, although Shaw isn’t backing his former team-mate to get on the score-sheet in the game.

“I am guessing they would be high odds and I wouldn’t take them,” he joked. “He was always a great lad when he was younger at Luton. He wanted to play regularly and I told him he would love it at Gateshead. They’ve taken him to their heart, but I’d be shocked if he scored!”