Morpeth Town reached the Third Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup for the first time this century, upsetting perennial giant killers Blyth Spartans 4-2 at Croft Park in the process.
Michael Chilton’s early brace, followed by a sublime Luke Carr finish gave the Highwaymen a shock 3-0 lead at the break.
But a goal from Dan Maguire early in the second half, followed by an own goal by Jordan Fry led to a nervy final twenty minutes for Town.
Substitute Liam Henderson allayed any fears of a late equaliser in injury time, restoring ‘Peth’s two goal lead to close out the tie.
Nick Gray and Dave Malone made three changes from the side that lost to Penrith mid-week, Chris Swailes, Keith Graydon and Luke Carr returning to the fold.
But it was veteran striker Chilton who stamped his authority on the game early doors with a quickfire double.
With 6 minutes played, the visitors won a corner on the left. A short routine saw Ben Sayer play a one-two with Carr before hitting a low cross through the 6-yard area where Chilton was waiting to stab home.
The second followed within three minutes, Stephen Forster latching on to a Spartans clearance, hitting an unmarked Chilton just left of centre in the penalty area with first time cross on the volley.
The striker managed to lob the onrushing Adam McHugh with the outside of his right foot, a delicate finish.
As to be expected, the hosts began to fight back and put pressure on the Morpeth backline. A mazy run from the left wing saw Sean Reid find some space of the edge of the box, but his tame strike was comfortably claimed by Karl Dryden.
Things could have gone from bad to worse for Blyth, and McHugh personally, when he was adjudged to have handled outside of the area with Chilton looking for his hat-trick close by.
With the Town players calling for a red, the referee adjudged that the handball had not denied a goalscoring opportunity, stating after the game it was an unintentional misjudgement by McHugh, and that the split second difference of the ‘keeper staying in his area would have no allowed Chilton a chance on goal.
A let off for the hosts, but a fair decision not to give a card. Keith Graydon stepped up to take the free-kick on the edge of the area, his low effort under the wall well saved by McHugh.
A right wing Matty Pattison corner on the quarter hour mark almost brought Spartans some joy, Sean Reid leaping onto the cross, but his header was deflected over the Morpeth bar.
60 seconds later, the Highwaymen extended their lead. Chris Reid’s pass into the feet of former Blyth midfielder Paul Robinson allowed Town’s top scorer to turn his man and break towards the Spartans defence.
He laid the ball off to Sayer, who in turn found Carr on the right. The quick footed forward shuffled the ball onto his favoured left 10 yard out towards the right edge of the area, curling a delightful strike into the top left hand corner.
Sean Reid almost pulled a goal back minutes after the kick-off, beating Dryden to a near post cross from Pattison, but the forward was unable to hit the target.
Spartans should probably have pulled a goal back on 25 minutes, Maguire’s mistimed shot fell kindly for Sean Reid, but uncharacteristically he lofted the ball over from 10-yards out with the goal at his mercy.
Sean Reid was becoming a particular nuisance for the visitors, he went close again when Michael Richardson curled in a left wing cross, Reid’s glancing header unable to hit the target.
As the half hour mark approached, Chilton went close to completing his hat-trick. Sayer battled his way past three down the left before cutting in onto his right foot, sliding the ball to Chilton on the edge of the area who hit a strike on the stretch just wide of McHugh’s goal.
The remaining fifteen minutes saw Morpeth counter the increasing Blyth pressure time and time again, the best move saw Sayer and Carr combine to play in Robinson, unfortunately for the visitors, he was just offside when breaking through on goal.
Just before the break Blyth won a free-kick 25 yards from goal on the left. Stephen Turnbull stepping up to take it, floating the ball just over the crossbar.
Tom Wade’s side came out for the second half with more vigour and gusto, and pulled a goal back in the opening exchanges.
Turnbull’s right wing corner saw shots by Ryan Hutchinson and Richardson blocked by courageous dives from Morpeth defenders.
Spartans managed to get the ball back out to Turnbull, the midfielders deliciously waited cross finding Maguire two yards out to nod home.
Blyth were now in the ascendancy, attacking almost at will, yet struggled to break down a defiant Town back four. Another corner was diverted wide by Sean Reid, who missed a hat-full of chances on the afternoon.
Morpeth’s counters were becoming more and more sparse, but one such break almost resulted in a fourth Highwaymen goal and a Chilton hat-trick.
Sayer’s slide rule pass allowed Chilton to run one-on-one with McHugh, the ‘keeper making himself big to deny the striker. The rebound ballooned up in the air towards the goalmouth, McHugh able to clear at the third time of asking.
Midway through the second half, the hosts were adamant they should have had a penalty, Chris Swailes challenging Maguire in the penalty, the latter getting just enough of the ball for Elliott Heward to wave play on.
As the clock ticked into the final twenty minutes, Spartans pulled another goal back through the unfortunate Fry.
Substitute Luke Armstrong picked up the ball on the right byline, crossing low past Dryden onto the shin of Fry who could do nothing but watch the ball hit the back of the net.
Four minutes later, a questionable decision by McHugh allowed sub Liam Henderson to close down one of his kicks, the rebound falling agonizingly wide of the goal.
As Spartans continued to throw men forward, Morpeth provided the telling counter in the first minute of injury time.
A Dryden punt was headed on by Henderson towards Sean Taylor. The ball somehow managed to find its way back to Henderson who was now on the edge of the area. The striker shot right footed across goal, the ball nestling in the left inside netting, a stunning finish to close out a fantastic afternoon for the Highwaymen.
Blyth Spartans: McHugh, Bell (Nicholson 46), Caines, Hutchinson, Turnbull, Pattison, Wade, Maguire, S Reid, Richardson (Atkinson 79).
Subs not used: Parker, Pell, Buddle, Jeffries.
Morpeth Town: Dryden, Forster, Novak, Sayer, Swailes, C Reid, Mullen, Graydon, Carr (Taylor 65), Chilton (Anderson 68), Robinson (Fry 57).
Subs not used: Anderson, Provett, Hall, Grieve.
Attendance: 1045
Referee: Elliott Heward
Assistants: Robert Musgrove & Lewis Game
