Match report proudly sponsored by Northumbria Print
Picture: George Davidson
Words: Ross Jackson
Morpeth Town ended their league campaign in dramatic circumstances, perhaps fitting after a rollercoaster campaign in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.
A 3-3 scoreline at the end of the clash with Warrington Rylands told only half the story as the Highwaymen roared back from 3-0 down after 31 minutes to score twice in stoppage time with the final flourish arriving from goalkeeper Dan Lowson, who scored the second goal of his career.
Liam Noble, Callum Morris, Michael Turner, Ben Ramsey, Josh King, and Tom Chiabi were restored to the starting line-up, with Connor Pye, Josh Robson, Jack Foalle and Chris Reid dropping to the bench and Ryan Donaldson and Sam Fishburn rested with a Northumberland FA Techflow Marine Senior Cup final on Tuesday night at St James’ Park.
Town started the game a little sluggishly defensively but could have had a penalty on three minutes when Thomson, while bearing down on goal, was sent tumbling. The referee waved away appeals that were more vociferous from the crowd than the players themselves.
Then came the opening goal of the game on six minutes through Mo Touray. Rylands’ number 10 profited from some excellent play in close quarters from Joe Adams, the midfielder turning and crossing low for Touray to easily slot home.
Scott Duxbury doubled his side’s advantage on 25 minutes with an easy header, unopposed, from four yards out. By this stage of the game, Warrington were looking a huge threat going forward with both Colin Oppong and Touray causing chaos up front, ably assisted by the lively Osebi Abadaki.
It would be the first of that trio, Oppong, who would put his side in total control by the 31st minute, seconds after Touray had been denied by Lowson despite a fierce low drive. From the resulting corner, Oppong, a towering presence, headed across goal and in.
Matt Sargent then hit the post as the visitors threatened to run riot in the first half, but then came Morpeth’s best chance to reduce the deficit, from the spot, on 44 minutes. A clipped ball into the box saw Ramsey head goalwards at the back post. His goalbound effort was blocked by the hand of James Neild, but the spot-kick from Thomson was saved by keeper Luke Pilling, before the latter denied Ramsey superbly on the follow up.
With an uphill battle ahead of them, the Highwaymen started the second half on the front foot with Thomson once again denied by Pilling on 51 minutes, before Jordan Mustoe kept Lowson on his toes with a low effort on 55 minutes that was gathered by the stopper.
Turner hit the bar with a header into the ground that was pushed up and to safety by Pilling before a defining spell of the game on the hour-mark.
Firstly, Dana Amaral, only brought on in the 23rd minute, was shown a straight red card for striking Noble on the edge of the box in an off the ball incident. Then came the start of Town’s epic comeback.
Thomson got the ball rolling on 62 minutes, controlling expertly before firing in at the near post. The duel between the striker and goalkeeper continued in the 67th minute, but Pilling was able to deny Thomson with his foot.
Morpeth patiently kept pressing and probing, with King sending a header well wide of the target on 81 minutes before Morris saw a close-range header somehow bounce clear in a congested penalty area.
Tom Chiabi then struck the bar in stoppage time with a glanced header across goal, before one of the most bizarre finishes to a game ever experienced at Craik Park.
King rose highest to head Noble’s delivery past the keeper on 92 minutes. The game, by this point, was frantic and Morpeth came within inches of equalising seconds later as Thomson got in behind and chipped back across goal, but Chiabi couldn’t get a touch and Matty Cornish, playing the last game of his loan from Blyth Spartans, had his shot blocked on the line.
Then came the moment. Standing over a free-kick on 95 minutes, Noble sent a low delivery into the box, finding keeper Lowson, who had charged up for one final attempt, and the keeper showed the touch of a seasoned striker to side foot an effort into the back of the net to spark jubilant scenes.
It marked the end of the league campaign and a 17th place finish but with Tuesday’s cup final still to come, there could yet be more drama to come.
MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, King, Turner, Sayer (Foalle 46’), Henderson (c), Morris, Cornish, Noble, Thomson, Chiabi, Ramsey (Robson 61’).
SUBS: Reid, Anderson, Pye.
WARRINGTON RYLANDS: Pilling, Neild, Mustoe, Duxbury, Egerton, Furman (c) (Amaral 23’), Adams, Sargent, Oppong (Hindle 88’), Touray (Mantack 63’), Abadaki.
SUBS: Hives, Wright.
ATT: 532
