Morpeth Town slipped to a first defeat of pre-season as they were beaten by Dunston UTS at Craik Park.
In a game of plenty of chances, the 3-2 scoreline was perhaps justified as Dunston proved the more ruthless in front of goal.
In torrential rain, both sides sought to get a foot on the ball and build up the tempo. But it was Dunston who adapted quicker and scored the opening goal of the game on four minutes.
After a ball fell on the edge of the area, their number eight used the slick surface to lash home a low drive and give his side the lead.
Two minutes later and it could have been two if the visitors hadn’t spurned an open net with keeper Dan Lowson down injured in the build-up.
Morpeth were seeking a bit of a foothold in the contest and had a glorious opportunity to equalise through Vinnie Steels on 15 minutes.
The winger, drifting in off the right flank was played in behind but drilled a shot, with the keeper out to greet him, past the far post.
Seconds later and Dunston probably should have doubled their advantage through their number seven, but his rising drive smacked the crossbar before going wide.
As the game settled down, Jack Foalle was denied from the left side of the box on the half-hour mark and then Josh King failed to control a lovely ball in from the left as the Highwaymen started to find a way into the contest.
Matty Boyd sliced a shot wide of the target after enterprising play to get into a shooting position and then, four minutes before the break, patient build up wasn’t rewarded as Foalle’s drive was comfortably pushed over by the Dunston keeper.
Most of the goals came in the second half, a half that started brightly for the Highwaymen with substitute Danny Barlow pulling a shot wide of the far post before a moment of quality from Steels saw the midfielder turn away from one, drive through the heart of the midfield before shooting straight at the keeper.
Then came Morpeth’s equaliser on 59 minutes. Ben Sayer was the creator, sending in an inviting corner from the right for Chris Reid to stoop low and head in from eight yards.
The Highwaymen threatened to go in front with two superbly weight lofted balls forward, but Steels was denied by the onrushing keeper before Andrew Johnson was also denied by a smart smothering save from the Dunston stopper.
Town would be made to rue those missed chances two minutes later as Dunston went ahead thanks to a familiar face at Craik Park. Luke Carr, off the bench for the visitors, found a pocket of space at the edge of the box and fired a low shot past Lowson to give his side the lead.
Dunston, looking a menace on the counter, then scored a third as Morpeth pressed for a second. It was a lovely finish from the number 15, the striker striding clear before dinking past Lowson to put clear daylight between themselves and their hosts.
That gap was closed partially in the 74th minute when Connor Thomson controlled Steels’ ball in from the right, before firing home to reduce the deficit.
Thomson could have had two in a minute when Jeff Henderson knocked the ball across goal for a close-range header. But with little power on the effort, it looped into the grateful grasp of the goalkeeper.
Johnson shot wide with 10 minutes to go as the game ended in defeat for the Highwaymen ahead of their next pre-season outing, a clash at Newton Aycliffe on Friday night.
