Morpeth Town’s difficult start to the season continued as three goals in six minutes saw them lose 3-0 at home to Warrington Rylands in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division, writes Ross Jackson.

Substitute Jack Burton did the damage, coming off the bench and scoring a treble in the 77th, 81st, and 83rd minutes of the game as the Highwaymen endured another deflating afternoon at Craik Park.

They headed into the contest off the back of their first three points of the season after beating Stockton Town 2-1 on Tuesday night.

But the high-intensity performance of that night was sorely lacking in a side making just one change – Ryan Wombwell coming in for the unavailable Nathan Buddle – from that starting XI.

A dour first half of few chances saw Sam Hodgson limp off on 20 minutes before Dylan Dwyer sent a long-range effort off target.

Sporadic half chances were being created and prevented in equal measure, but James Baillie would force an unorthodox save from Morpeth keeper Dan Langley, reacting quickly to save one-handed from a free-kick.

Both sides struggled to get any rhythm in a first half that lacked fluency and quality in attack.

But, with the second half threatening to follow a similar pattern, Rylands stepped up the speed of their attacks and that made the difference.

A one-two lead to a shot into the side-netting before Baillie’s next free-kick attempt struck the crossbar on 67 minutes.

Then came Burton’s first goal on 77 minutes, the substitute sliding in at the back post after a tempting ball across goal from the right.

Seconds later and he should have had his second, but Langley denied him when clean through.

Morpeth were at sixes and sevens by this point and conceded again on 81 minutes when Burton tucked away Ntumba Massanka’s pull-back via the inside of the far post.

A chaotic six-minute period was capped off on 83 minutes when Burton found the net to put his side into a commanding position.

It ended a miserable afternoon for the Highwaymen who will need to improve significantly when travelling to Blyth Spartans on Monday for a Bank Holiday Northumberland derby.

MORPETH TOWN: Langley, Evans, Robson, Dowling (Barlow 58’), Henderson (c), Wombwell, John, Hickey, Hodgson (Foalle 20’), Bollado (Steels 75’), James.

SUBS: King, Davison.

WARRINGTON RYLANDS: Pilling, Smith, Dwyer, Thompson (Furman 60’), Regan (Pickles 84’), Neild (c), Baillie (Hardcastle 74’), Morris, Massanka, Burns (Hough 60’), Porter (Burton 31’).

SUBS:

ATT: 380