Morpeth Town recorded their third victory in six days with a comfortable win over Tadcaster Albion. Sean Taylor opened the scoring before the lead was doubled by Iulian Petrache. Ben Sayer then added the third.
Morpeth started on the front foot and Ben Sayer was unlucky to his effort get sliced wide on 2 minutes.
After 6 minutes, it was Tom Potter; who broke through, the arrival from Whitley Bay was given acres of room and he drove forward before slipping the ball to Sean Taylor. Taylor was able to cut inside but saw his near post effort blocked behind for a corner.
Tadcaster responded and their first chance of note arrived only two minutes later. A flick at the near post from Pete Davidson but the striker saw his effort clear the bar.
Both sides were happy to keep possession of the ball but only one side looked to play with any real decisiveness. Sean Taylor was the beneficiary as David Carson was afforded the freedom of Tadcaster to turn in the centre circle and run at the terrified Tadcaster defence. Carson found Joe Walton and the returning striker so his effort pushed away before Taylor followed up and fired home.
The Highwaymen continued to press in search of a second goal and Carson was unlucky to see Michael Ingham parry away the ball when his effort was destined for the bottom corner.
Tadcaster almost levelled just short of the half hour mark when a deep free kick was nodded onto the bar by Harry Coates. For the Brewers, that was as good as it got in the first half.
The missed chance was immediately punished by the rampant Highwaymen when Iulian Petrache grabbed his first goal of the club. The Romanian central defender was on hand to smash home from a corner. Sayer whipped the ball into the box which was missed by everyone, Jeff Henderson kept the ball alive before Petrache grabbed the goal.
Joe Walton, who having grabbed an assist, proved his worth at the other end of the pitch when he was in the right place to clear a ball off the line.
It took only three minutes into the second half for the points to be sealed. Ben Sayer was on corner duties and his delivery was perfect as it caught out Ingham, the ‘keeper was only able to push the ball into the net.
Whilst Morpeth looked very confident going forward, the same couldn’t be said for Tadcaster who dithered when presented with opportunities. The back line of Danny Carson, Petrache, Henderson and Michael Turner were snapping into tackles and not allowing the physical threat of Joe Lumsden and Aiden Savory a moment on the ball.
What little threat possessed by Tadcaster was in the form of Billy Whitehouse. The fullback went close when he saw his free-kick saved well by Dan Lowson.
David Carson who was looking to add to his goal tally and the midfielder had two good opportunities. Firstly, he was brilliantly denied by Ingham after Tom Potter had raced clear before rolling the ball across the box to Carson. From the resultant corner, Carson drove an effort narrowly wide.
The final chance fell the way of the hosts and Lowson was more than equal to the effort from Lumsden. The ‘keeper got down low to keep the effort out and was quick to smother the loose ball.
It was a commanding performance from the first whistle to the last whistle with Morpeth first to every ball.
There’s a short turnaround for Town as they look to extend their winning streak to four games when they entertain Wisbech Town on Saturday at Craik Park.
TADCASTER ALBION: Ingham (c), Whitehouse (Baker, 84), Howarth, Coates, Hardy (Barkworth, 73), Barrett Savory (Savory, 46), Langton, Roper, Lumsden, Davidson, Stewart
SUBS NOT USED: Walters, Mycoe
GOALS:
MORPETH TOWN: Lowson; Danny Carson, Turner, Sayer, Petrache, J. Henderson, Taylor (Fry, 46), Phillips (c) (Hodgson, 76), Walton (Forster, 68), David Carson, Potter.
SUBS NOT USED: Burnicle, McDonald
GOALS: Taylor, 15; Petrache, 29; Sayer, 48.
Man of the Match: Jeff Henderson