A superb away day display saw Morpeth Town ease past Stafford Rangers with a 3-0 win at Marston Road in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.

The Highwaymen made a handful of changes from the side that were taken apart by Worksop Town earlier in the week, looking to bounce back from an unprecedented 7-0 defeat in Nottinghamshire.

In came Chris Reid, Josh Robson, Andrew Johnson, and Jack Foalle, as manager Craig Lynch sought a reaction from his team.

And they certainly delivered.

The game started with their struggling hosts – languishing near the foot of the table – using the height of striker Nathan Blissett to good effect, their direct style of play nearly exclusively relying on his aerial presence.

So it was perhaps no surprise that the first half chance came the way of the forward, Blissett heading off target on 16 minutes.

Then came a chaotic moment five minutes later when a ball into the Stafford box was looped back across goal by Josh Robson. Sam Hodgson looked like he was shoved over at the far post as the ball wormed back into the six-yard box for Reid to nod home from close range. The referee, though, would call it back for the ball going out of play to chalk off the goal.

An even game ebbed and flowed without either keeper being really tested, although their heart-rates may have been raised slightly on occasion, notably when Liam Noble sent a free-kick over the top on 36 minutes.

Then, on 41 minutes, the Highwaymen came close to breaking the deadlock through Middlesbrough loanee Fenton John. The midfielder, in his last game of his loan spell, darted forward through a congested midfield area before driving low. However, Stafford keeper Cam Belford was up to the task, palming it to safety before gathering at the second attempt.

Blissett sent another header wide of the target before Morpeth scored on the stroke of half-time through Andrew Johnson.

The forward, netting his ninth goal of the campaign (we’re only in November), latched on to a tame clearance from Stafford, after Will Jenkins had superbly made space to cross down the right hand side, to smash a low shot into the back of the net.

It was an advantage their first half efforts deserved but it would ensure the hosts would come out fast at the start of the second half as they went in search of an equaliser.

Despite an increase in the pressure, Morpeth stayed resolute and duly scored a second on 62 minutes through Noble. A raking cross-field ball was chested down expertly by Foalle, with Jenkins running on to it before returning the ball to Foalle. He in turn teed up Noble to rifle a low shot past Belford from 20 yards and double his side’s lead.

Stafford kept plugging away in an attempt to get back into the game and had one of their best chances of the game on 70 minutes, but the winger, when cutting in off the right flank, flashed a shot wide of the far post.

They’d repeat the trick a moment later, with the same outcome, before Morpeth’s third of the afternoon on 71 minutes.

Noble sprayed a ball wide for Foalle to advance Morpeth up the pitch. The winger fed Jenkins who slipped a through ball to John. The midfielder’s presence of mind to turn away from his man created the space and he slammed a shot into the roof of the net to ensure all three points for the Highwaymen.

Town keeper Dan Lowson was called into action to make a couple of routine saves in the closing stages but Morpeth wouldn’t be denied as they earned a morale-boosting victory on the road.

The Highwaymen are next in action when they host league leaders Radcliffe on Tuesday night at Craik Park (7.45pm).

STAFFORD RANGERS: Belford, Burns, McMahon, Moult, Stewart, Nijara (Braithwaite 62), Anderson, Willis, Blissett, Carvell (Onyeka 77’), Payne (Maieco 62’).

SUBS: Woods, Morgan.

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Robson, Reid, Jenkins, Henderson, Turner, Foalle, Noble (Wombwell 86’), Hodgson (Steels 74’), John, Johnson (Barlow 80’).

SUBS: Donaldson.

ATT: 578