Morpeth Town once again showed their resilience as they scored another last-gasp goal to secure a share of the spoils at home to Guiseley.
A bizarre Pitching In NPL Premier Division contest saw the Highwaymen dominate the first half, missing a series of chances, before Guiseley grasped the initiative in the second half and then took the lead on 78 minutes through Reece Kendall’s driven effort.
Town were reduced to 10 men on 88 minutes when Liam Noble was shown a straight red card but they kept plugging away and restored parity deep into stoppage time thanks to Sam Hodgson’s late intervention.
Morpeth started in impressive fashion, creating four chances in the first 14 minutes without taking any of them. Hodgson fired wide on four minutes, Connor Thomson had a shot deflected off target two minutes later before a dangerous Hodgson delivery just couldn’t be converted by Thomson seconds later.
Hodgson then saw a near post effort go wide on 14 minutes before being denied smartly by visiting keeper Ollie Battersby on 20 minutes. From the resulting corner, the striker, by now entering a personal duel with the stopper, turned and shot wide from close range.
A high defensive line was a risky strategy for the visitors, allowing acres of space in behind the back four which the Highwaymen sought to exploit regularly. They did so on 30 minutes, but with Jack Foalle bearing down on goal, his driven effort was well saved by Battersby.
But for all Morpeth’s first half dominance, they wouldn’t find a way through and that profligacy would prove costly.
Guiseley made a decisive change at the interval, bringing on striker Gabriel Johnson for the hard-working but largely ineffective Callum Chippendale.
The change nearly brought immediate dividends when the substitute looped an overhead kick goalwards but over the bar on 49 minutes.
Ollie Brown and Kallan Murphy both pulled shots wide of the post as the visitors visibly grew in confidence.
Despite Noble’s effort wide on 65 minutes, the away side were looking ominous, with the tide of the game flowing against Morpeth.
Only a superb save from Town keeper Dan Lowson prevented that from happening on 68 minutes, flying to his left to deny the dangerous Johnson.
Although Andrew Johnson, fresh off the bench, was denied by Battersby, who was having some night by this point, on 73 minutes, it was perhaps no surprise that the Lions would open the scoring.
After Johnson’s 76th minute strike was pushed clear by Lowson and the same player then missed his kick from close range, Guiseley would get their noses in front on 78 minutes through left-back Kendall.
The former Spennymoor Town defender had the ball laid in front of him to drive across Lowson and into the far corner.
As Morpeth desperately chased the game, tiredness and frustration grew in equal measure, resulting a straight red card for Noble on 88 minutes after an altercation by the corner flag.
Far from diminishing the home side, playing with 10 men revived them. Johnson’s header in stoppage time looked destined for the back of the net, only for Battersby to once again deny a Morpeth man.
But with seconds left, the pressure finally paid off and Hodgson earned his seventh goal in 11 appearances, latching on to Chris Reid’s header back across goal to slot home from six yards out and send Craik Park into raptures.
The Highwaymen may have maintained their unbeaten home start to the season, but they next travel to Whitby Town in the Emirates FA Cup Third Qualifying Round on Saturday. Club travel is still available with limited seating left. To book contact admin@morpethtownafc.com
Morpeth Town: Lowson, Wombwell, Reid, Jenkins (Sayer 79′), Henderson, Turner, Foalle, Noble, Hodgson, Donaldson (Barlow 69′), Thomson (Johnson 59′)
Subs: Miller, Robson
Guiseley: Battersby, Ashman (Devine 73′), Kendall, Ekpolo, Walker, Ible, Brown, Whelan, Murphy, Chippendale (Johnson 46′), Stacey (Meppen-Walters 90′)
Subs: Wade, Denton
Att: 318
