FA Vase Quarter-Final
Morpeth Town 2-0 Bristol Manor Farm
Chris Swailes 13, Dale Pearson 90+4
By Stuart Dick at Craik Park
Morpeth Town are one round away from a trip to Wembley after overcoming Bristol Manor Farm at Craik Park 2-0 in their FA Vase Quarter-Final on Saturday afternoon.
718 were in attendance for the Highwaymen’s biggest win in their 132-year history, as goals from Chris Swailes and Dale Pearson secured a Semi-Final berth for Nick Gray’s men.
Despite heavy rain just an hour before kick-off, the pitch held up well as Gray made four changes from the side that beat Durham City 4-0 in the league last Tuesday; Michael Chilton, Jordan Fry, Karl Dryden and Swailes coming in to the starting XI.
Morpeth started the game in the ascendency, and caused there visitors numerous problems in the opening salvos. A short corner by Sean Taylor was picked up by Ben Sayer on the edge of the box, his rasping strike tipped over by Ashley Clark in the Farm goal.
The Highwaymen dominated the opening ten minutes, and were a whisker away from taking the lead on six minutes. James Novak’s forward ball to Jordan Fry saw the midfielder play a sharp one-two with Shaun Bell before shooting narrowly wide from eighteen yards out.
On 12 minutes the visitors had the ball in the back of the net. An excellent flighted ball by Ben Willshire was headed goal wards by Dean Stamp, Dryden only able to parry into the path of Kyle Holly who tapped home, however the flag was up for offside earlier in the move against Stamp.
Within two minute, Morpeth took the lead. Luke Carr’s whipped corner was met by Chilton, the ball heading towards Aron Roggins on the post, but Swailes stole in to convert from less than a yard out to put Town a goal to the good.
The goal spurred Morpeth on more, a mazy run by Taylor from the right wing allowed for a strike on goal from long range, comfortably saved by Clark.
At the halfway point of the first half Town created another striking opportunity. After patient build-up play down the left, the ball was squared to an onrushing Stephen Forster, but is powerful effort sailed well wide of the mark.
Despite the relentless Town pressure in the first 30 minutes, Bristol almost levelled. Jordan Metters flat cross was nodded onto the outside of the post by Holly.
From that chance on it was all Morpeth once more, a Swailes header and a Novak shot both going close, the latter palmed away by Clark.
As the half came to a close, Morpeth’s captain Taylor had three golden opportunities to extend the lead. Firstly he met Sayer’s cross with an acrobatic bicycle kick that fell just wide of the ‘keeper’s left hand post.
Then the Morpeth forward misses two one-on-ones, Clark saving the first before Taylor missed the target with the second, 1-0 the half-time scoreline.
As the second half begun, it seemed Morpeth’s dominance in the game would continue. Within a minute of the re-start, Novak launched a 25 yard pile driver goal wards, the ‘keeper stood watching as the ball thundered of his left hand upright and back into play.
However, the tide began early in the second period, with Bristol showcasing the talents that got them to this point in the competition. On 48 minutes a well worked move from the back, the ball eventually falling to Stamp on the right, his left footed strike deflected behind.
Stamp went close again just after the hour mark. He latched on to a long ball, beating the Morpeth backline but the defence recovered to force the striker’s effort wide. From the resulting corner, Metters playing in Shepard, but the striker couldn’t hit the target.
At the other end Morpeth almost doubled their lead on the how mark, Sayers left wing corner fell to Michael Hall just a couple of yards out, his touch knocking the ball wide of the left hand post.
Substitute John Lock headed a right wing corner just wide on the hour mark, while a diving stop from Dryden from a header after a Farm corner kept Morpeth’s lead intact as the game headed into the final 20 minutes.
A barrage of shots fell on the Morpeth Town goal on 71 minutes, but diving stops by Bell, Dryden and Swailes kept the ball from hitting the back of the net.
With 10 minutes remaining, the visitors were once again a whisker from getting the equaliser their second half display may have deserved. Durrant’s right wing cross nodded millimetres wide by Shepard.
The pressure continued to build on Dryden’s goal, Stamp next to go close with a low effort destined for the bottom corner, Morpeth’s ‘keeper able to fall on it before it trickled into the net. Dryden’s then cleared the ball, but it came right back, Shepard going close with a shot across goal from the right.
Within a minute Manor Farm had a corner from the left, the corner landing on the head of Lock at the back post, the giant defenders header clawed away by Dryden and back into play.
But with 94 minutes on the clock, the Highwaymen sucker punched the visitors, Lee McAndrew breaking down the right before pulling the ball back to Sayer. His first attempt was blocked by a defender, his second was mishit but fell to Pearson three yards out who netted the vital second to secure the victory.
The visitors appealed for offside, but nothing was coming from the referee’s assistant, and with that Morpeth clinch a semi-final spot.
Town will travel to Bowers & Pitsea on the 12th March before hosting their Essex opponents on the 19th with a Wembley appearance at stake.
