ANDY King wants Gateshead polished off at the first attempt as the thought of a chilly replay in the North East is just too much to bear.

When the draw for the second round was made, the Town boss joked he was delighted to have a home tie as he had still to warm up after a previous scouting mission at Gateshead International Stadium.

Once again, Town know they face a side with nothing to lose. Gateshead have already accounted for one Football League club, having enjoyed a 2-0 win at Halifax Town in the first round.

"They will be coming down here, trying to kill the game. They would be more than happy to get us back to their place for a replay," said King.

"This will be a test for the players. The fact that five non- League teams have got this far should be a warning bell," he said.

But the boss said his team's performance at Northampton showed the players could produce the goods.

"Yes, we've played OK but what I want now is consistency," he said.

King said he had been delighted to see the 4-5-1 formation work so effectively at Northampton, with Gary Alexander having 'excelled' at Sixfields.

With Richard Dryden unavailable for the Gateshead clash, Southampton having refused permission for him to play in the FA Cup, the Town boss was hoping his reserve side would provide the answer to his selection headache.

Town's second string were due to travel to Northampton this week but heavy rain saw the game postponed, thwarting the manager's chance of seeing any of Dryden's possible replacements in action.

"With Richard Dryden not able to play it means a possible opportunity for a few people, maybe Adam Willis and Antoine Van Der Linden," said King. "I don't have a multitude of options though."