Morpeth Town recorded a superb 2-0 win at Prescot Cables, as the Highwaymen left Merseyside with all three points in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.
Rhys Evans netted his first for the club on 32 minutes, before Nic Bollado scored just after half-time to secure the spoils for Town.
Morpeth started solidly enough, Luke James seeing his shot blocked on 12 minutes before keeper Dan Langley, outstanding all season, once again excelled between the sticks. This time, on 19 minutes, he was called to make a double save when denying Jack Goodwin at full stretch before tipping over the follow-up header.
Goodwin then shot narrowly over the top on 22 minutes before seeing a 30th minute effort saved by Langley, who deserved his cleansheet, a fourth of the campaign in league and cup.
But the first goal of the game would go the way of the visitors on 32 minutes, Evans, not the most frequent scorer, netting after keeper Andre Mendes collided with a Morpeth player, allowing the ball to squirm free to the right-back to slot home.
The first half, seeing the home side dominate but fail to create too many moments of panic and fall behind, was replicated in the second, with Langley again superbly stopping Alex McNally on 48 minutes.
But Morpeth, clinical in this one, netted their second, doubling their advantage on 54 minutes through Bollado.
The young forward, scoring his first goal in 10 games after such a prolific pre-season, bundled the ball into the far corner to give his side some breathing space.
Will Dowling, on as a substitute for Jordan Hickey, bent a free-kick narrowly off target on 56 minutes as the game edged towards the hour-mark.
Josh Robson was perhaps a bit fortunate to get away with a penalty shout against him on 70 minutes, his hand connecting with the ball in the box after a delivery into a dangerous area.
But that was about as much as the home side would muster as Morpeth, crucially, managed the game and saw it out to victory.
A superb away day success, it left Morpeth six points off the play-off spots and very much in touch with a cluster of sides just above them ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to Worksop Town.
PRESCOT CABLES: Mendes, McNally, Devine, Koehler (Cross-Adair 59’), Devine (Hollett 85’), Doyle, Goodwin (Carberry 80’), Foley (Owens 73’), Murphy, Elliott, Gilboy (Porter 63’)
SUBS:
MORPETH TOWN: Langley, Evans, Robson, Hickey (Dowling 55’), Henderson, King, Marshall, Barlow, James, Bollado (Greaves 82’), Gibson-Booth.
SUBS: Wombwell, Chater.
ATT: 959