Gateshead star Dinanga has mixed emotions after hat-trick in win against Oxford City

Gateshead top goalscorer Marcus Dinanga admitted there way some relief after he grabbed his first hat-trick for the club in Saturday's home win against National League strugglers Oxford City.

Rob Elliot's men got themselves in front on the quarter-hour mark with a Luke Hannant penalty and found themselves up against ten men for the entirety of the second-half when their visitors were reduced to ten men by Andre Burley's red card ten minutes before half-time.

The extra space in the attacking third allowed Dinanga to wreak havoc as the former Stevenage and Altrincham frontman twice in nine minutes with two typically clinical finishes that have become the norm throughout a season. It looked as if the striker was going to be frustrated once again as he looked to secure a first treble for the Heed - but his patience was repaid when some neat approach play from Louis Storey presented him with another close-range opportunity that he did not let pass.

Speaking of his hat-trick, the Heed’s top goalscorer told the club website: “Literally, I thought it was never going to come. I think when I missed the last chance it was here we go again, another two goals.  Am I ever going to get a hat-trick for Gateshead?. Obviously, Louis done well for the pullback and I was buzzing when I got it.  (I was) over the moon, really.

I’ve been on twos a couple of times and been taken off and I thought I might get taken off again.  But we’d made all three subs, so I thought I would get another chance because there were chances coming my way being in the right place. When I got that last chance I was thinking ‘thank god’ and I was just praying for it and happy I got the three goals really.”

The Heed will hope to further boost their bid for a play-off place when they make the long trip to Woking on Tuesday night before they hit the road once again to visit Boreham Wood next Saturday afternoon.