There was also a youthful look to the visitors’ line-up, though it was one of their more established players, Mitch Brundle, who popped up with the winner at the death.

Former Braintree Town defender Brundle saw a deflected effort skim narrowly wide early on, before Tom White cleared the crossbar for the Heed after pouncing on a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area.

At the other end, Yasin Ben El-Mhanni took aim for United 20 yards out, but failed to keep his curling effort on target.

JJ O’Donnell almost opened the scoring for Gateshead early into the second half, firing just over the crossbar from close range after being afforded time and space.

Kieran Green then attempted an audacious lob from the halfway line, but United’s Ben Smith managed to collect.

20 minutes from time, substitute Dan Lowther drilled narrowly wide for Newcastle after latching onto a pass through the middle.

Both sides showed more attacking intent after the break, and with a quarter of an hour remaining, the visitors’ Macaulay Langstaff curled narrowly wide after taking the ball down 18 yards out.

Mo Sangare fired off-target for United with time beginning to run out, but – with their next attack – it was Gateshead who snatched victory.

Langstaff’s corner from the left dropped nicely for Brundle at the back post, whose downward header got the better of Smith.

Newcastle United: Ben Smith, Lewis Cass, Owen Bailey, Michael Newberry (Yannick Aziakonou 58), Adam Wilson, Jamie Holmes (Dan Lowther 58), Mace Goodridge, Dan Ward (Mo Sangare 58), Victor Fernandez (Trialist 58), Yasin Ben El-Mhanni (Oliver Long 58), Trialist.