Gateshead 2 Warrington Town 0

IT had to end somewhere and ultimately Warrington Town ran into a higher-ranked side able to show their class when required.

Defeat to the Conference promotion hopefuls proved just what a remarkable success story the first round giant-killing of League Two Exeter City was.

Facing another full-time opposition, in contrast to Town’s twice weekly sessions, it is testament to the Yellows’ players they were still in the game until the final minute.

Gateshead boss Gary Mills, a European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest, could not have wished for a better start than Matty Pattison’s seventh-minute opener.

Yellows manager Shaun Reid used one word to describe his approach to the fixture, ‘war’, but that early hit to even a battle-hardened unit like Town proved enough to keep the eighth-tier outfit at arm’s length.

They could have been blown away in the spell following the goal, the dangerous Alex Rodman and Rob Ramshaw causing problems as Warrington’s part-timers scrambled to regroup.

Craig Robinson and co did regroup, eventually, and stemmed the barrage of black and white attacks, buoyed by an all-singing, all-dancing sea of yellow to their left – nothing would stop the visiting support enjoying their day.

Town were able to disrupt Gateshead’s early passing game and, while only managing one acrobatic Lee Gaskell effort themselves, reached the halfway stage with a hopeful eye still sighting a fairytale third-round tie.

The Yellows showed the combative performance that epitomised their first-round success after the break, but with no lead to defend and unable to retain possession a Gateshead second looked inevitable.

The introductions of Ash Ruane, James Colbeck and Steve Foster added some spark, but with only Scott Metcalfe’s volley causing Gateshead a scare, it was telling the effort came from outside the box.

However, when the hosts twice struck the post, the travelling crowd must have felt perhaps this would be their day after all.

Keeper Karl Wills, one of the first-round heroes, had only moments earlier won a header in the opposition box as the visitors poured forward, but it was his error that finally sealed Town’s fate.

Foster’s blocked shot was Town’s best effort late on, but it proved an unfortunate goodbye to an unforgettable FA Cup ride.

As Reid put it: “That’s football.”