Gateshead manager Neil Aspin believes there is very little between the cream of the crop in the National League, but knows overcoming table-toppers Lincoln City this weekend is a mammoth task.
The Buildbase Trophy second round draw has paired ninth-placed Heed with the Imps, who they trail by 13 points in the league table and lost 3-0 to in August.
The visitors are in red-hot form having won six of their last seven league games and held Championship side Ipswich Town to a 2-2 draw in The Emirates FA Cup third round.
And Aspin said: “We have pulled out one of the most difficult draws we could have got.
“We were happy to be drawn at home, but it’s going to be so tough.
“We know how good a season Lincoln are having and we give them the utmost respect for that.
“I watched them play Guiseley in FA Cup fourth round qualifying and it was the hardest I have seen a team work all season. If we are going to win then we need to work as hard.”
By contrast to their visitors, the Heed have endured an inconsistent season, having not recorded any more than two successive victories at any stage.
But the last round of the Trophy, a 2-0 win over Kings Lynn Town, provided a welcome distraction and Aspin is hoping for the same again.
He added: “The victory against King’s Lynn in the previous round was massive because we had just lost three games on the spin and it was banana skin. But we needed to steady the ship and we did that.
“We are capable of beating anyone and losing to anyone and we need to improve that.
“But if we play our best then we know we can give them a good game.
“We need to move the ball quickly and play with energy and swagger – if we do that then we have a good chance.”
FA Trophy history
Gateshead reached the semi-finals in 2010-11, where they were knocked out by Darlington 3-2 on aggregate. Lincoln City’s best performance was a quarter-final appearance back in 1987-88.
Did you know?
Gateshead have played at the 11,750-capacity International Stadium since 1971-72. The all-seater venue is also used for athletics meetings and five world records have been broken there, including Brendan Foster in the 3,000m in 1974.
One to watch
A strong defence will be vital for Gateshead, but the dynamic attacking trio of Danny Johnson, Nyal Bell and Jordan Burrow could make the difference. Johnson has netted 10 goals in the league this season and his pace and finishing ability promise to stretch and test Lincoln’s resolve.
The prize
The winner will pick up a cheque for £6,000 and bag a spot in Monday’s third round draw, available to watch live via Periscope from the @FA Twitter account from 10.30am.
