Nobody would have guessed that it was the visitors who play their league football three levels higher in the pyramid in the National League as Rangers of NPL Division One West handed out a 5-0 thrashing of the struggling Tynesiders.

Rangers probably should have won the tie at the first time of asking but, had they done so, they would have denied the old ground one of its best nights for many years.

A second sell out crowd of the season saw Rangers take an early lead through Scott Bakkor.

Darryhl Mason doubled the score just after the half hour to give Rangers a two goal cushion at the interval.

Gateshead made two half time substitutions but they couldn't change the outcome as Mitch Clarke added a third shortly after the resumption. Stafford lad Joe Dunne headed in a fourth before Jack Birch added the icing to the cake with a penalty.

The opening goal came in the 5th minute when Mason outpaced Jack Robinson to cross for Bakkor to convert from close range.

Gateshead did respond and got the ball in the Stafford net just a couple of minutes later but Ash Boatswain's effort was ruled out for offside.

Gateshead keeper Peter Jamieson kept his side in the game with a couple of excellent saves to deny Mitch Clarke but it was attack after attack from Stafford with a speculative long range effort from Tom Tonks going just wide after he had spotted Jamieson off his line.

Just as Gateshead looked like they were beginning to settle, Rangers struck for the second time. The pressure was maintained following a corner and Birch played Dunne's centre back across for Mason to volley home on 32 minutes.

There was a rare moment of alarm for Stafford as Leon Phillips spilled a shot from Michael Spellman but the ball spun up and came back off the cross bar.

Half Time: Stafford Rangers 2 Gateshead 0

The next goal was going to be decisive and, on 51 minutes, it went to Stafford. Birch sent in a deep free kick which was headed goalwards by Mason. His effort beat Jamieson and came back off the post but Clarke pounced to fire home his sixth goal of the season.

Fellow defender Gomes wanted to get his name on the scoresheet and produced some fancy footwork but was left still looking for his first goal as Jamieson tipped over.

It was from the resultant corner that Rangers made it 4-0 on 57 minutes. Birch delivered from the right and Dunne was left unchallenged to head home.

Gateshead's Tom Lavery was lucky to escape with just a yellow card for pulling back Mason who was threatening to go clear on goal and Mason was denied again – this time legitimately – when Jamieson got a hand to push away a shot from a tight angle.

The scoring was completed on 68 minutes when Birch converted his spot kick after Alex Lankshear had brought Gomes down as he cut in from the right.

Kyle Sambor came off the bench and nearly added his name to the list of scorers only for his shot to be blocked.

The referee's whistle triggered full time scenes that seemed light years away from last season's FA Cup campaign which had ended in the Extra Preliminary Round with a miserable defeat at home to Lutterworth Town. How quickly times have changed!

Full Time: Stafford Rangers 5 Gateshead 0

Stafford: 1 Leon Phillips, 2 Beto Gomes, 3 Joe Dunne, 4 Todd Ferrier, 5 Andy Burns (c) (18 Harvey Washington 90m), 6 Tom Tonks (16 Joe Thompson 90+4m), 9 Scott Bakkor (14 Wealth Da Silva 86m), 10 Jack Birch (7 Kyle Sambor 70m), 11 Darrhyl Mason (12 Ty Webster 78m), 15 Mitch Clarke, 19 Remi Efunnuga

Unused Subs:13 Russell Saunders, 17 Max Chimenes,

Gateshead: 12 Peter Jameson, 2 Tom Lavery, 3 David Ferguson, 4 Josh Home (20 Fenton John 46m), 6 Jack Robinson, 8 Sam Bowen (5 Alex Lankshear 58m), 14 Ash Boatswain (27 David Eguaibor 64m), 17 Rocco Coyle, 21 Michael Spellman, 28 Harrison Holgate (29 Freddie Issaka 46m), 32 Harry Chapman (23 Billy Chadwick 69m).

Unused Subs: 7 Jordy Hiwula, 33 Logan Douglas

Referee: Gareth Thomas

Cautions: Mason 77m (Stafford); Lavery 58m, Ferguson 77m, Eguaibor 83m (Gateshead)

Goals: Bakkor 5m, Mason 32m, Clarke 51m, Dunne 57m, Birch pen 68m

Att: 3130

Report by Chris Elsley