Two second half goals from Jack Foalle and a trialist ensured Morpeth Town started pre-season with a 2-0 win over Northern League outfit North Shields.
Both sides put in a decent shift as they sought to get some much-needed minutes in the legs, with the first half symptomatic of that.
The first chance of note came in the opening 60 seconds when the visiting number nine forced a low stop from our trialist goalkeeper.
Then, on seven minutes, came the best attack of the game from Morpeth when neat link-up play involving Ben Sayer saw Andrew Johnson played in, but his low drive flew wide from range.
Fourteen minutes later and Johnson had a better chance when Foalle’s shot deflected into his path, only to be denied by an impressive stop by the North Shields keeper.
Morpeth were stepping it up by the half hour, pressing high and recovering possession in dangerous positions. This led to Foalle turning and shooting low, but wide of the target.
North Shields were industrious going forward and looking to open their account on the night. But on 36 minutes they were denied by the legs of our trialist goalkeeper after the Shields number 11 got in behind.
The second half was only 11 minutes old when Foalle registered his first goal of pre-season, latching on to a through ball to round the keeper and slot into the empty net, despite the attempts of the defender to clear off the line.
New signings Vinnie Steels and Danny Barlow were introduced for the first time at Craik Park and looked sharp, quick, and incisive in midfield.
The former sent a rising drive over the top before a real moment of quality on the hour-mark doubled the Highwaymen’s advantage.
The trialist at right back, who had a fine 45-minute spell in the second half, intercepted a ball forward and darted, at pace, into an advanced position before letting fly from 25 yards and finding the top corner.
The home side nearly added a third on 64 minutes when Connor Thomson latched on to a well-weighted through ball from Barlow, put it through the keeper but the ball was cleared.
Both sides continued to work hard into the closing stages but it would end with victory for Morpeth and a good test of their fitness ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Stockton Town in our next pre-season encounter.
