Gary Mills: Gateshead quality made Oxford go route one

Gateshead manager Gary Mills says his side's quality made Oxford change to a direct style in Saturday's FA Cup draw.

The Heed led the League Two promotion hopefuls 2-0 but Oxford earned a replay with a 90th-minute equaliser.

They play again on 19 November for the right to visit Wrexham in round two.

"I'm so proud of my players because I said we'd play our own game and we did. We played a team second in League Two that resorted to just booting the ball into the box," he told BBC Newcastle.

Mills played under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest in the 1970s and 1980s when the team won back-to-back European Cups.

When he was in September he promised a commitment to that kind of passing football whilst Gateshead boss.

Since then, he has won eight of his 13 games in charge.

"My team were brilliant and Oxford ended up putting a big lad through the middle and then just hoping for the best instead of passing," Mills added.

"The lads have been magnificent since I arrived and all the performance did was typify the sort of movement and passing they've done for the previous 12 games."

Meanwhile, Gateshead have extended defender Lewis Sirrell's loan from Middlesbrough by a month.

The 20-year-old has started all four games since joining in October.