That four point gap is due in part to our visitors's surprise victory over Aspatria a fortnight ago. The Cumbrians say they were "out enthused" on the day but perhaps should have taken notice of Gateshead's previous 25 all draw at Pontefract. Not an easy place to get a point or even two.

As a result they'll be coming down the A1 with more confidence than a side which has spent most of the season in the bottom three would normally have.

We will be looking to pick up where we left off in a hard working 35-0 win at boittom placed Aldwinians. In the first half of that game we fiddled and fudged but got our act together in the second to run in a few points.

Carr is the only change to the side which started that day. Brett Cullinane has been a more than able stand-in in the skipper's absence and will be happy to come off the bench at any time to do his bit - as he always is.

Henry Tones also returns to the squad. Both he and Carr got a game under their belts at South Tyneside College last week and have trained well this week. Colin Cheslin will be the backs replacement with Darren Thomas heading of to the big CaNDY league game at Tynedale IIs with a strong looking Stags side.

The referee for the Gateshead game will be John Meredith, the former Durham University student, who is being fast tracked by Durham and who looks well set for a long and successful career in the game.

West: Painter, Thorn, Hodgson, Howe, Hare, Moss, Tighe, Carr [capt], A Dixon, Robinson, Rudd, T Dixon, D Boatman, J Boatman, Garside. Reps: Cullinane, Tones, C Cheslin.

Gateshead: 15 J Cloak 14 K Morgan 13 D Tate 12 D Kell 11 S Schofield 10 B Simpson 9 J Foster 1 K McKeown 2 D Douglas 3 W Burns 4 I Carr 5 A McConway 6 B Stevenson 7 P Ingham [capt] 8 D Glendinning 16 P Rowell 17 D Tweddle 18 D Harbron