The Highwaymen came from a goal behind to beat Matlock Town 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in Derbyshire, in the NPL Premier Division.
It was a battle on a dry pitch which didn’t allow for too much free-flowing football, but Morpeth dealt with it in a better manner than they did in similar conditions two weeks ago at Lancaster.
Just two minutes into the contest Terry Bondo was unmarked in the penalty area and guided Jack Stobbs’ cross into the corner to lead.
Craig Lynch’s men from that point worked to get back into the contest and ensured they had the bigger portion of possession but just needed the quality to arise in the final third.
20 minutes in Luke James fired a half-volley over the bar and just before half-time we came our closest when Nic Bollado found a yard of space on the edge of the area and fired an inch wide of the far post.
It was in the second half where we found the finishing touch (with a stroke of luck!)
Just after the hour mark Leon Gibson-Booth swung a dangerous deep corner into the box which Matlock attempted to clear but it cannoned off Nathan Buddle and found itself in the back of the net.
We received a second stroke of luck twenty minutes later when Dan Langley sent the ball long from a goal kick and Charles Oglesby headed back to his goalkeeper, who wasn’t where he believed he would be, and the ball rolled into an empty net.
The Highwaymen have now lost just two in 12 league matches, with the two losses being Macclesfield and Worksop Town – the top two!
Morpeth XI: Langley; Evans, Buddle, Henderson (C), Robson, Gibson-Booth; Sam Hodgson (CM), Dowling (Follin 90+5′); James (Chater 90+3), Bollado (Sam Hodgson (ST) 61′), Foalle (Barlow 73′).
