Ten-man Gateshead hold on for shoot-out win

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Ten-man Gateshead held off Conference Premier rivals Braintree Town for 48 minutes with a numerical disadvantage to book their place in the Third Round of The FA Carlsberg Trophy after a penalty shoot-out.

Part-time hosts Braintree, the self-styled 'pub team from Essex', have defied the odds by occupying a comfortable mid-table position in their inaugural Conference season, but they were unable to break down the 'Heed after visiting skipper Ben Clark was dismissed for blocking Sean Marks' route to goal on the edge of the penalty area in the 72nd minute.

Iron top scorer Marks had earlier netted his eleventh goal of the campaign to give his side the lead ten minutes after the break, collecting Ben Wright's unselfish pass to beat Tim Deasy with a clinical finish from ten yards out.

Gateshead, Semi-Finalists in The Trophy last term, had twice led in the initial tie before being pegged back and they turned the tables on Braintree by responding within four minutes in the replay as Micky Cummins rose to powerfully head Josh Gillies' corner beyond Nathan McDonald.

Before the sending-off, Gateshead were content to methodically pass the ball around the Amlin Stadium pitch, with Phil Turnbull's searing 38th minute shot fractionally wide of the upright the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock in the opening period.

Much of Braintree's good work was engineered by captain Kenny Davis and England ‘C’ team midfielder Jai Reason, whose skidding 35th-minute effort was kept out by Deasy. Other than the goal, the 'keeper was not tested during the second half, and Aswad Thomas' slightly misdirected free-kick was the only genuine threat to a resolution inside the regulation 90 minutes.

In extra time, predictably, Braintree enjoyed the monopoly in terms of possession and chances with Deasy effecting a good block from Wright and Davis, the man responsible for Town's late leveller in the north-east, glancing a header across the face of goal.

But, with the sides inseparable for the second time in four days, it was left to Deasy to provide the defining moments following six successful penalties. The custodian first thwarted Marks with his legs and then Reason with his hands to give Gateshead the initiative, and substitute Chris Moore's pinpoint spot-kick in-between ensured the 'Heed's progression to a Third Round clash against Alfreton Town.

Braintree Town
Nathan McDonald, Aswad Thomas, Adam Bailey-Dennis, Matt Paine (Chib Chilaka 110), Jai Reason, Kenny Davis, Sean Marks, Ben Wright, Pat O’Connor, Andy Yiadom (Bradley Quinton 102), Dean Wells
Substitutes not used Ashley Jones, Nicky Symons, Matt Pooley

Gateshead
Tim Deasy, Sam Rents, James Curtis, Ben Clark, Phil Turnbull, Yemi Odubade, Micky Cummins (Eddie Odhiambo 98), Craig Baxter, Josh Gillies (Chris Carruthers 73), James Marwood (Chris Moore 68), Jamie Chandler
Substitutes not used Ben Wilson, Martin Brittain

Referee Andy Davies
Assistant Referees Paul Harris & Matthew Hopton
Fourth Official Tony Goddard