Two second half goals saw Morpeth Town ease to a 2-0 win at financially stricken Marske United in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.

South Shields loanees Sam Hodgson and Will Jenkins did the damage as the Highwaymen ended with a comfortable win that heaped the gloom on their hosts.

The Seasiders need to raise £120,000 to assure the league they are able to complete the campaign and needed a big crowd through the gate to help their cause. With 1,200 in attendance, the stage was certainly set but a pitch, described best as heavy going after overnight rain, had an effect on free-flowing football.

Fleeting half-chances summed up the first period, with both sides threatening without really troubling either keeper.

The second half was much more decisive, with Morpeth clinical on the break and looking the fresher legged of the two.

Despite a flurry of Marske activity in the final third, seeing keeper Dan Lowson deny the hosts, in the early stages, Morpeth continued to build a dominant position.

They’d be rewarded for a composed and confident away day display with the first goal of the afternoon on 64 minutes.

Nic Bollado sent a ball from the right across the six-yard line for Hodgson to steal in ahead of his marker to slot past Jaan Yaqub and register a 13th goal of a season that is proving his most profitable in his career to date.

Marske sprung into life after conceding and Jeff Henderson needed to be alert to somehow deflect a goalbound effort off target with an equaliser looking certain amid a chaotic penalty box.

Town should have stretched their lead through Danny Barlow, but the wing-back, who worked tirelessly, saw his drilled low effort flash inches past the far post.

Jack Foalle and Andrew Johnson provided fresh attacking intent in the closing stages, when coming off the bench, as Marske looked a beaten team, resorting to long balls into the Highwaymen box and hoping for a loose ball to fall kindly.

With Morpeth increasingly threatening on the counter and looking unphased defensively, they inevitably added a second in the 89th minute through Jenkins.

Both Hodgson and Jenkins have recently extended loan deals until the end of the season and used this game to mark the occasion. Johnson laid the ball into the path of Jenkins to smash home from four yards and condemn the hosts to defeat at Mount Pleasant.

There was still time for defender Dan Myers to be dismissed for dissent in the aftermath of the goal as the home side finished with 10 men.

For the Highwaymen, it was an incredibly impressive performance on the road which puts them in good spirits ahead of their next game, a home clash with Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday at Craik Park.

MARSKE UNITED: Yaqub, Gitau, Myers, Leech, Burgess, Sikora, Church, Kennedy, Byes, Chimalilo, Round.

SUBS: Robertson, Cunningham, MacDonald, Hackett, Harker.

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Wombwell (Robson 24’), Reid, Jenkins, Henderson, Turner, Bollado (Foalle 66’), Noble, Hodgson (Johnson 83’), Donaldson, Barlow.

SUBS: Griggs.

ATT: 1,200