Morpeth won the Techflow Group Northumberland Senior Cup on Tuesday evening with a hard fought but ultimately deserved victory over a spirited North Shields side.

Liam Henderson had nodded the Highwaymen in front just before the interval but the Robins equalised when Craig Spooner flicked his header home in the second half. Jack Foalle was the hero for Town when he fired home in extra time to win the game for Morpeth.

The Highwaymen began the game on the front foot and it was the NPL East Player of the Year, David Carson who had the first effort of the game. His first time effort from the near post was wide following a Ben Sayer corner.

On 19 minutes, Sam Hodgson was given time and space to stride forward with the ball and he had a pop from 25yds that forced Michael Robinson into his first save of the evening.

The Robins responded and it was Gary Day who posed the threat. The forward found space on the edge of the box and turned before hitting a fizzing effort that was deflected over the bar. Unfortunately Day was forced off injured shortly after this and Shields struggled to recover.

As the game got closer to the interval, Carson and Liam Henderson both had chances to put Morpeth in front. Carson drilled an effort wide and Henderson was caught off-guard as the ball hit him and went behind for a goal kick.

Henderson made amends though on 41 minutes when he put the Highwaymen ahead. Ben Sayer notched his 29th assist of the season with an in-swinging corner that was missed by Robinson and Henderson nodded home from on the line.

Joe Walton could have doubled the lead as the game entered added time but his side footed effort lacked any real power and was claimed comfortably by Robinson.

The second half started the same way as the first had been played out with Morpeth well on top. After 57 minutes, it was Walton who almost grabbed the second. His header was superbly tipped onto the bar by Robinson and the rebound came out to Chris Reid but he nodded the ball over the bar.

Henderson could have doubled his scoring tally when he got in front of his marker and glanced Stephen Forster’s cross narrowly wide of the near post.

The Highwaymen were made to rue those chances when North Shields levelled against the run of play. The substitute Sean McRoberts whipped in a delightful cross and Craig Spooner flicked his header past a helpless Dan Lowson.

Despite both sides pressing for a winner in the remaining minutes, neither side was able to find that cutting edge to prevent the drama of extra time.

As per the rest of the game, Morpeth were dominant in the early stages of extra time. Jordan Fry who had arrived as a second half substitute saw his shot deflect behind for a corner.

Carson will feel that he should have won the game for Morpeth in the 102nd minute when he jinked one way and then the other in the box and with Robinson rooted to the spot, could only see his strike blocked by the legs of the ‘keeper.

Walton who was playing in a more advanced position that what we’ve seen this season nearly put Town back in front but his acrobatic volley flew wide of the near post.

However, that miss was to not prove costly as only a minute later Jack Foalle wrote his name into Morpeth Town folklore with a strike at the Leazes end. Forster swung in a deep cross that Walton nodded down and Foalle was unmarked at the back post to volley the ball home and send the majority of the 2,247 crowd into delirium.

Despite, Shields pressing forward in search of an equaliser it should have been Morpeth who grabbed the next goal. Forster rampaged forward and got an effort away from inside that box that was straight at Robinson.

The final whistle went soon afterwards and the Highwaymen were able to celebrate their first Techflow Group Northumberland Senior Cup since winning it in 2007.

Attention now turns back to league football with the next match at Craik Park on Saturday when 2nd placed Pontefract Colliers are the visitors in a game which will go a long way to deciding the fate of the title. Kick off is at 3pm.

 

Morpeth Town: Lowson, Forster, Turner, Sayer, J. Henderson, Reid (Fry, 83), David Carson, Hodgson (Potter, 70), L. Henderson (Foalle, 90), Phillips (c), Walton

Subs not Used: Graydon, Danny Carson.

Goals: L. Henderson 41’, Foalle 111’

 

North Shields: Robinson, Donnison, McDonald, Hall (Ormston, 68), Nearney, Hughes, Spooner, Forster, Day, Carr (Johnston, 35), Robinson (McRoberts, 61).

Subs not Used: McManus, Purvis.

Goals: Spooner 72’

ATT: 2,247