'We are more than capable': Gateshead manager has Walsall in his sights after big Wimbledon FA Cup shock
Gateshead manager Alun Armstrong is eyeing another FA Cup scalp in Walsall - having caused one of the biggest upsets of the first round.
The mid-table National League side dumped out League One promotion contenders AFC Wimbledon in the first round proper thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
It was the first time the non-league side have reached the second round in four years - and now having beaten last year's League Two play-off winners, they have the play-off runners up firmly in their sights.
Walsall will head to the North East next month having comfortably seen off Eastleigh on Sunday.
It could have been a potentially tricky tie for the Saddlers against the National League outfit - but a professional display ensured their reached the second round.
Evan Weir opened the scoring before second half strikes from Daniel Kanu and Jamille Matt got Mat Sadler's men back to winning ways.
Now they are set for another non-league test and Armstrong, who has managed a handful of clubs in the region including Blyth Spartans and Darlington - insists that his side's display in the opening round has shown what they are capable of.
And he wants the Gateshead community to fully get behind their club in a bit to 'unite the town' and reach the FA Cup third round, and set up a potentially lucrative tie.
He said: "It’s going to have to be done the hard way if we want to get to that third round - but it is doable.
“Part of the problem at home is that crowds aren’t great because of what’s gone on in the past and that’s understandable - but you hope this little FA Cup run can unite the town and pull the town together.
"It’s needed, it’s needed massively for financial reasons and the FA Cup always pulls the town together and if we can do that, you just never know but hopefully this is the game that can do that.
“I am not saying it’s not and we have shown what we can do in these circumstances. We come up against an excellent Wimbledon side and put in a fantastic performance.
"This will have to be the same level of performance because Walsall are flying - but we are more than capable if we perform to the levels that we can reach.
