Morpeth Town cruised into the next round of the FA Trophy with a comfortable 3-1 win at home to Whitby Town.
Liam Henderson got the game up and running on the goal front as he slotted home from close range on the half-hour mark.
Then followed three goals in 12 minutes as Morpeth – through Ben Sayer and Liam Noble – raced into a 3-0 lead, before Marcus Giles reduced the deficit three minutes before the break.
Morpeth started brightly enough, forcing a string of corners without really testing keeper Shane Bland in the Whitby goal.
The goalkeeper was forced into action in the 14th minute, saving with his legs after Andrew Johnson got a sight of goal on the edge of the 18-yard box.
Seconds later and Henderson would go close, lashing over after neat build-up play from the hosts, with Sayer prominent.
Nine minutes later and Stephen Forster – impressive throughout in a more advanced position – was played in behind the defence by Noble. The former was felled in a fair challenge with Bland before getting up and laying into a sliding Henderson, who could only guide wide of the far post.
Two minutes later and the referee’s red card would be brandished in the face of Jameel Ible, the defender, who had been dismissed against us previously while at Frickley Athletic, getting involved with a skirmish with Henderson before being sent off.
If things were going bad for Whitby, they were about to get a whole lot worse. Henderson was the man to punish the visitors on the half-hour mark, slotting home from close-range after Callum Williams galloped down the right-hand side and burst into the area unopposed.
The 37th minute brought another goal for the home side, this time Sayer benefited from the spot, after Henderson had been clearly brought down. With seven missed spot-kicks prior to this one from the Highwaymen, Sayer placed the ball on the spot and scored from 12 yards to end that unfortunate run.
Two minutes later and Noble netted from close range, sending a rising finish into the net after more classy build-up play from an increasingly confident home side.
There was still time for the visitors to reduce the deficit in the 42nd minute, Giles, a former Highwaymen, lashing home from 25 yards with just the keeper to beat.
The second half saw Morpeth continue to press the visitors, Chris Reid forcing a good save from Bland, before Micky Turner headed wide with a free header on 58 minutes.
Just after the hour-mark and Henderson’s header was superbly saved by Bland. On 66 minutes, Forster’s shot was deflected wide of the near post and from the resulting corner, a header was cleared off the line before Johnson’s close-range strike smashed into Reid.
The game moved comfortably enough after that for the Highwaymen as they secured a spot in the next round of the FA Trophy.
Morpeth are next in action when they host Bamber Bridge in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division on Tuesday night (7.45pm).
MORPETH TOWN: Lowson; Williams, Reid, Phillips (c), Hodgson, Turner, Forster, Sayer (Mohammed 86), Henderson, Noble, Johnson (Leonard 84).
SUBS NOT USED: Turnbull Bostyan.
GOALS: Liam Henderson (30), Ben Sayer (37 PEN), Liam Noble (39)
WHITBY TOWN: Bland (c); Ible, Sukar, Mills, Burn, Ritson, Heaney (Suddick 69), Hawkins, Giles, Hazel, Cooke (Martin 40).
SUBS NOT USED: Fewster, Bullock, Dixon.
GOALS: Marcus Giles (42)
ATT: 300
