Match Report: Jack McGraghan

Gateshead put five past Rochdale at the Crown Oil Arena to secure a spot in the Isuzu FA Trophy fourth round.

Connor McBride opened the scoring just before half time, moments after missing a penalty, before strikes from Billy Chadwick, Callum Whelan and Marcus Dinanga made sure of the result in the second half.

Tyrese Sinclair netted a consolation for Rochdale from the penalty spot, but it mattered little as The Heed’s win set up a home tie against Weston-super-Mare in January.

Rob Elliot handed goalkeeper Harrison Bond his competitive debut for the club following his re-call from Whitley Bay, while re-introducing Joe Grayson and McBride to the squad following their injury absences.

McBride wasted no time in making an impact and could have had an assist within nine minutes, only for Tom Allan’s shot to be blocked one-on-one by Brad Kelly in Rochdale’s goal.

The pair switched roles seven minutes later as Gateshead worked their way into the box again, though this time McBride couldn’t quite connect with Allan’s ball across the six-yard box.

The hosts saw a chance of their own go agonisingly close with 20 minutes gone when Ian Henderson headed a deep cross against the crossbar, while at the other end Allan found himself denied by Kelly once more before his withdrawal due to injury.

Adam Clayton was the first to test Bond on his Gateshead debut when he sent a 25-yarder swerving towards goal, but the young goalkeeper proved equal to it to tip acrobatically over the bar.

McBride then won, and missed, a penalty after being brought down just inside the area but wasted little time in making amends, taking six minutes to weave into the box again and this time find the bottom corner.

Gateshead assumed control from the first whistle in the second half, with a quickfire double making it three-nil as Chadwick slotted past Kelly one-on-one before Whelan volleyed Luke Hannant’s cross into the far corner for his first goal for the club.

McBride was denied a fourth by the offside flag, and Chadwick by the legs of Kelly, before a seemingly soft penalty in Rochdale’s favour allowed Sinclair to step up and get his side on the scoresheet.

His strike couldn’t spark a comeback from the hosts however, who proceeded to concede twice more as Dinanga came off the bench to bag an injury-time double from close range and send Gateshead through to the fourth round in convincing fashion.

Gateshead: Bond, Jobe, Storey, Grayson, Hannant, Allan (Lofthouse, 30’), Francis, Booty, Whelan, McBride (Dinanga, 64’), Chadwick (Pani, 85’).

Substitutes: Richardson, Wearne, Lowery. 

Goals: McBride (45+3’), Chadwick (51’), Whelan (53’), Dinanga (90+1’, 90+5’)

Rochdale: Kelly, East, Taylor, Sinclair (Burgess, 77’), Clayton (Mann, 71’), Uchegbulam (Afuye, 62’), Keohane, Nevett, Oduroh, Gilmour, Henderson.

Substitutes: Moulden, John, Ebanks-Landell, Edwards. 

Goals: Sinclair (73’, pen)

Attendance: 1,107 (34 Gateshead)