Four second half goals saw Morpeth Town come from a goal down to beat Marske United 4-2 in a pulsating game at Craik Park on Bank Holiday Monday.

The Pitching In NPL Premier Division clash ebbed and flowed superbly, for the neutral, with hosting Morpeth being pegged back on two occasions before finally stamping their authority on the game in the closing stages.

The first half saw the Highwaymen dominate possession but unable to find a way through a resolute and disciplined Marske outfit.

Chances came and went, with Will Jenkins driving over the top and Andrew Johnson sending two similar efforts straight at Marske stopper Nathan Harker in the opening 15 minutes.

Donald Chimalilo was denied on 22 minutes by Morpeth keeper Dan Lowson, but he couldn’t stop the winger scoring on 40 minutes when a shot at the near post somehow found a gap between post and keeper.

After being in control of possession for long spells, Morpeth will have felt hard done by heading into the interval chasing the game.

They used that frustration to their advantage, starting the second half with an increased tempo and an equaliser three minutes in.

An increasingly reliable source delivered, with on loan South Shields striker Sam Hodgson finding the net with a sharp shot on the turn that fizzed past Harker to restore parity.

Town were buoyed by this and took the lead on 57 minutes with Johnson’s fourth goal of a profitable campaign to date.

The Highwaymen’s leading scorer benefitted from more excellent build involving the impressive Jenkins, nodding in at the near post from close range to give his side the advantage.

That lead, though, lasted literally seconds as Adam Boyes raced on to a through ball nearly straight from kick-off to equalise.

The game was chaotic to say the least by this point and Morpeth returned fire on 68 minutes, retaking the lead much to the delight of the home support.

Hodgson was again the man to strike, lofting a shot over the keeper after fellow loanee Jenkins, registering his fifth assist of the campaign already, played him in.

Danny Barlow headed straight at Harker soon after as Town sought a decisive fourth goal, which would duly arrive on 75 minutes thanks to a rocket from Jack Foalle.

Coming off the bench to great effect, the forward lashed a shot across the keeper and into the far top corner to decide matters in Morpeth’s favour.

Hodgson, seeking his hat-trick, struck off target a few times in the closing stages, with Jenkins seeing a low drive saved by Harker as Town finished much the stronger and earned three important points at Craik Park.

Town are next in action on Saturday when hosting Radcliffe in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round.

Morpeth Town: Lowson, Robson, Miller (Turner 82′), Jenkins, Henderson, Reid, Steels (Thomson 68′), Noble, Hodgson, Barlow, Johnson (Foalle 69′)
Subs: Wombwell, Donaldson.

Marske United: Harker, Degruchy, Myers, Leech (O’Neill 76′), Burgess, Dale, Hackett, Robertson (MacDonald 82′), Boyes, Chimalilo, Cornish.
Subs: Cunningham, Kennedy, Sikora.

ATT: 501