The imminent arrival of the Toon Army has given everyone a lift, says young midfielder Jake Hessenthaler.

The Gills will host Premier League Newcastle United in the second round of the Capital One Cup next Tuesday.

Gillingham booked their place in round two after beating Yeovil on Tuesday night. On Saturday, they beat the same opposition, at Priestfield, in League 1.

“It’s a great feeling to get our first league win,” said the 20-year-old.

“It’s been a great week leading up to this game and to come away with a win on Tuesday and then get that cup draw against Newcastle gave us a little lift going into the game. The boys were excellent.

“We have something to look forward to when it comes around and we want to be going into that game with a lot of confidence.”

Despite the upbeat mood in the camp, Hessenthaler acknowledged the side didn’t start Saturday’s match well.

“Everyone started a bit slowly,” said Hessenthaler, who returned to the starting line-up after being an unused substitute during the week.

“They didn’t start amazingly but they were playing with a bit more confidence than us. We grew into the game and when we got that first goal it settled us down a bit.

“In the second half we started brightly and then we just dug our heels in at the end, worked hard and got a result again.”