Match report proudly sponsored by Northumbria Print
Morpeth Town put in a commanding second half performance as they brushed aside visiting Atherton Collieries 3-0 at Craik Park in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.
The Highwaymen, after a fairly even first half, dismantled the Colls with three goals in 17 second half minutes to ensure a more comfortable victory than the first 45 minutes would have suggested.
Town kept with the same side that triumphed 1-0 at Whitby Town on Tuesday night, looking to make it two wins in four days over rivals down at the foot of the table.
New recruit Kyle Lancaster, from York City, had to make do with a place on the bench after only signing on Thursday.
What he saw was a fairly timid first half with neither side grasping the initiative. With chances at a premium, the first of note arrived on 20 minutes when Andrew Johnson curled an effort harmlessly across goal and past the far post.
Callum Morris sent a shot wide of the near post before Michael Turner sent a rising header well over as a couple of corners caused a few flutters in the visiting defence.
But it wasn’t exactly a constant period of pressure as Town struggled to up the tempo and Atherton comfortably dealt with the long ball forward.
Indeed, it would be the Colls who would have the best chance of the game on 35 minutes. The Highwaymen’s defence once again coughed up possession under pressure before Arran Pettifer was played clean through on goal.
The attacker should have done better but his effort was superbly saved by keeper Dan Lowson, with Jeff Henderson clearing the loose ball from the six-yard box.
It was a warning sign that Morpeth would do well to heed in the second half. The opening stages after the interval suggested they had.
On the front foot from the off, they were quicker on the ball, more adventurous going forward, and caused the visiting defence problems almost immediately.
It lead to the first goal of the game on 57 minutes from the impressive Fenton John. The Middlesbrough loanee has been an energetic presence in central midfield and it was his quick thinking from a corner that saw him latch on to a loose ball in the box to lash home from close range.
It sparked wave after wave of Morpeth attacks, with the next goal arriving from a familiar source on 64 minutes in Johnson. Netting his third goal of the season, the attacker profited from a quickly taken thrown-in into the box and clever flick in-field from Jack Foalle. Johnson controlled and slotted home to double the hosts’ advantage.
Two became three on 74 minutes when AJ struck again, latching on to Foalle’s through ball on the counter attack before cutting inside and once again converting to complete the scoring and a convincing win.
It moved the Highwaymen up to 15th in the table, two points clear of the bottom four, ahead of a trip to Marine on Saturday.
MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, King, Robson, Morris, Henderson (c), Turner, Cornish (Ramsey 75’), Sayer, Foalle (Thomson 86’), Fenton (Donaldson 70’), Johnson.
SUBS: Fishburn, Lancaster
ATHERTON COLLIERIES: N.Defreitas-Hansen, Rooney, Peet, Brown (Lenehan 68’), Lafferty (c), L.Defreitas-Hansen, Kershaw (Thompson 58’), Hardcastle, Bakkor, Pettifer, Cusani.
SUBS: Amado
ATT: 374
