Match Report: Guiseley 3 Morpeth Town 3

The Highwaymen led twice in the match, and also trailed, before being pegged back in stoppage time.

Jack Foalle bagged a brace, with Will Longbottom registering his own double to leave the game finely poised at the break.

Jordan Hickey’s superb goal had Town on the brink of victory, only to be denied by Jordan Thewlis’ leveller at the death.

Morpeth started in good form, pressing quickly in midfield and recovering possession regularly.

With barely a sniff of goal in the early stages, the home side looked passive as Morpeth saw plenty of the ball. Their first chance would arrive on 19 minutes when a neat flick from the impressive Luke James released Will Dowling to strike straight at the keeper.

But that wouldn’t matter seconds later as Town opened the scoring through Foalle. Our leading scorer this season, Foalle slid in at the back post to score from Rhys Evans’ right wing delivery to give his side a deserved lead.

A wayward header on 30 minutes from Jake Lawlor and a wild lashed effort over the top from Ollie Brown was all the hosts could muster.

But they’d score two goals in four minutes, somewhat against the run of play, to seize the initiative.

Two very similar goals, a routine ball in from the right wasn’t cut out on 37 and 41 minutes, with left winger Longbottom side-footing in the first before heading across keeper Dan Langley for the second.

Shell-shocked and seemingly heading into the break behind, Morpeth responded on the stroke of half-time through Foalle.

Netting his fifth of a productive campaign, the forward was originally challenged by Lawlor while breaking forward. But the slide was ineffective, giving Foalle a sight of goal and a chance to lash a low show in at the near post.

Morpeth started the second half in similar fashion to the first, calm in possession and quick to get on the front foot.

James saw his stretched effort tipped over the bar by the Guiseley before, from the resulting corner on 54 minutes, his side took the lead once more.

After Guiseley failed to effectively clear a corner, Hickey saw the ball drop invitingly in his direction. The midfielder, scoring his first for the club, lashed a spectacular volley into the back of the net to once again put Town ahead.

The remainder of the contest would see the home side mill around Morpeth’s penalty box without creating clear chances, substitute Thewlis’ placed effort across goal going wide on 72 minutes being the best chance of note.

But deep into stoppage time, Guiseley would have their equaliser, Thewlis sliding in after a ball across goal to cap a chaotic, but thoroughly entertaining, evening for those in attendance.

Town are next in action when they welcome Hyde United to Craik Park on Saturday (3pm).

GUISELEY: Cracknell, Odunston, Brown, Ekpolo, Mbeka, Lawlor, Farrell, Moke, Johnson, Ackroyd, Longbottom.

SUBS: Lufudu, Emmett, Ridehalgh, Bentley, Thewlis.

MORPETH TOWN: Langley, Evans, Robson, Hickey (Boyd 90’), Buddle, Wombwell, John, Barlow, Foalle, Dowling, James (Bollado 85’).