Match report proudly sponsored by Northumbria Print

Two goals in three second half minutes condemned Morpeth Town to a 3-0 defeat at Nantwich Town in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.

Byron Harrison opened the scoring on 27 minutes before Dan Cockerline doubled the hosts’ advantage prior to Mwiya Malumo’s 70th minute goal.

The Highwaymen were suffering from a raft of injuries and suspensions, with a number of the squad unavailable on the day as highlighted by only three substitutes on the bench.

The game itself was a fairly even contest as Morpeth and Nantwich shared possession without causing too many threatening situations for either keeper.

Matt Bell blazed over for the home side on four minutes, before Cockerline’s header from eight yards was comfortably gathered by Highwaymen stopper Dan Lowson.

Then came arguably the best chance of the game so far on 16 minutes when Dale Pearson, sent through after clever play on the ball by Connor Pani, lashed a rising drive wide and high of the target.

Five minutes later and Jeff Henderson had his head in his hands after seeing his back post header, from Liam Noble’s delivery, fly past the frame of the goal.

Then came the first goal of the day on 27 minutes from Harrison. The tall winger used his aerial prowess to head into the back of the net from a Casper Hughes corner in from the left to give his side the lead at the interval.

The Highwaymen, far from out of the game and certainly giving as good as they got, created their best attacking play of the game on 51 minutes when working the ball down the flank before cutting it back for Pani to lash straight at Tom Booth with a stinging drive.

Connor Thomson’s cut-back failed to find Pearson as Morpeth posed problems in behind the full-backs, but it would be the Dabbers who would threaten after the hour-mark.

Malumo’s strike deflected past the far post and Cockerline saw an effort saved at the near post by Lowson before the second goal of the afternoon.

Enjoying a period in the ascendency, they would profit from it through striker Cockerline. A looping 67th minute ball to the back post was kept in by Malumo, who managed to get it back for Cockerline to smash into the bottom corner from a central position.

Morpeth then conceded another, to effectively put the game to bed, as substitute Tom Scully drilled a shot goalward with a couple of deflections taking it into the back of the net.

Ben Ramsey had the ball in the back of the net on 74 minutes but was adjudged to have pushed a defender at the back post before guiding a header in off the frame of the goal.

But the result was beyond doubt by this point as struggling Nantwich enjoyed a boost to their survival hopes.

Morpeth are next in action when they travel to Warrington Rylands on Saturday, with live match commentary starting on the day at 2.55pm on our Mixlr page.

NANTWICH TOWN: Booth, Bircumshaw, Lawton, Bourne, Nevin, Hughes, Malumo, Bell, Cockerline, Urvantev, Harrison.

SUBS: Sherratt, Scully, Miller, Moran, Morrison.

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Wombwell, Turner, Pani, Henderson, Morris, Foalle (Johnstone 88’), Noble (Robson 70’), Pearson, Thomson, Ramsey (Harvey 88’).

SUBS:

ATT: 253