Match report proudly sponsored by Northumbria Print
An outstanding away day performance saw Morpeth Town earn a fine 4-1 win at Liversedge in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.
Despite falling behind to James Walshaw’s strike on 36 minutes, Town were ahead by the interval with Chris Reid and Jack Foalle finding the back of the net. Dale Pearson added a third after the hour-mark before Connor Thomson stepped off the bench to seal a superb victory on the road.
Town controlled the game for large chunks, with Liversedge rarely setting the pulses racing despite a direct, robust approach.
Town would have the first chance of the game on 11 minutes, when Jack Foalle’s industrious run down the right flank, and cutback into the area, was drilled over by the impressive Connor Pani.
The Gateshead loanee was waspish as part of a midfield trio in Ben Sayer and Liam Noble who stepped up at key moments to push the game in Morpeth’s favour.
But it would be Liversedge who would take the lead, with their first real chance of the game, on 36 minutes, through Walshaw. The striker wriggled clear of pressure on the edge of the box before firing a rising drive into the roof of the net to give the home side a hardly-deserved lead at the Clayborn.
On a balmy summer evening, the Highwaymen would need to come from behind to get anything but their resilience shone through as they had the game turned around within seven minutes of going behind.
Two ill-judged dashes from his goal from Jordan Porter to claim balls into the box saw Reid equalise on 40 minutes, nodding into the empty net from 16 yards, before Foalle turned the game on its head netting at the back post after Porter failed to deal with a looping Michael Turner ball in from deep.
Morpeth continued to dictate proceedings in the second half, nullifying any opposition threat as the door remained shut, the midfield kept pressing and picking pockets of space, and the front-line continued to break in behind the full-backs.
Foalle and Sayer would come close to creating a two-goal cushion, but Pearson would be the man to deliver it on 67 minutes with an instinctive strike. The forward, netting his second of the campaign in just four games, saw a deflected Foalle shot fall into his path in the area and he made no mistake, sparking celebrations among his team-mates.
Liversedge did hit the ball with a fizzing ball into the area on 83 minutes, but Morpeth would go close to adding gloss to the scoreline two minutes later, only for Ryan Donaldson’s bending effort to be pushed clear after free-flowing build up from a vibrant Highwaymen outfit.
They would get a fourth three minutes later though as a fine move was capped off with a Thomson goal. Jeff Henderson started it with a long-ranging cross-field ball from left to right. Foalle brought it down for Pani, who cut the ball back through the legs of the defender for Thomson to slot across the keeper.
It was a brilliant win on the road and the perfect preparation for our next game when we welcome Hyde United to Craik Park. Click here to buy tickets, which are on sale now.
LIVERSEDGE: Porter, Barrett, Hands, Daly, Hurtley, Steers, Atkinson, Stockdill, Walton, Walshaw, Stewart.
SUBS: Amponsah, Cissa, Proctor, Hardacre, Khan
MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Robson (Wombwell 78’), Reid, Sayer (Donaldson 72’), Henderson, Turner, Foalle, Noble, Pearson, Pani, Ramsey (Thomson 65’).
SUBS NOT USED: Geliher, Scott
ATT: 368
