Match report proudly sponsored by Northumbria Print

Morpeth Town were in superb form as four first half goals ensured a third successive league win in the NPL Premier Division, at the expense of Warrington Town.

The visitors, who suffered their league defeat on the road, were stunned in the third minute when Liam Noble slotted into the bottom corner superbly from the edge of the box.

If the Yellows were knocked by this, they were side-swiped by Bohan Dixon’s straight red card seven minutes later when he reacted off the ball, an action which left Sam Hodgson on the floor in the penalty area.

Whereas playing against 10 men can be a difficult task, Morpeth made it look easy as they moved the ball, on a difficult pitch, to good effect and created space by pulling players out of position.

That lead to the home side’s second goal, a first for the club on his home debut, for Carl Finnigan in the 23rd minute. Slick play down the left flank saw the ball moved from Wayne Phillips to Stephen Forster in the area before the defender, a late inclusion following Michael Turner’s injury in the warm-up, cut the ball back for Finnigan. With three players between him and goal, Finnigan slotted into the bottom corner to double the home side’s advantage.

The Highwaymen were now attacking at will and had a third seven minutes later courtesy of a superb Liam Henderson strike. The centre-forward picked up possession 30 yards out before unleashing a dipping, curling effort that beat the keeper all ends up.

With the Yellows now reeling, Morpeth continued to press and duly added a fourth on 37 minutes through the unlikely source of centre-half Jeff Henderson. The defender, in truth, scored a beauty, flicking a delivery in from the left across goal and inside the far post.

It was more than enough to see the home side to victory, with the second half a less dramatic affair. Chances came and went, with Jack Foalle seeing a shot across goal saved by the legs of keeper Anthony McMillan before somehow deflecting past the far post off a defender.

Mitchell Duggan then saw red in stoppage time for a challenge on Forster as the visitors ended with nine men.

Ben Sayer came on with 20 minutes to go as he completed his comeback from injury, which he sustained at the start of September, to cap a fine afternoon for the Highwaymen who made it three wins in a row heading into a Boxing Day clash at Scarborough Athletic.

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Williams, Reid, Noble, J.Henderson, Forster, Walton, Hodgson, L.Henderson, Finnigan, Phillips (c).

SUBS: Sayer, Turnbull, Foalle, Mohammed, Robson.

GOALS: Liam Noble (3), Carl Finnigan (23), Liam Henderson (30), Jeff Henderson (37).

WARRINGTON TOWN: McMillan, Duggan, Barnes, Sephton, Roberts (c), Duffus, Mackreth, Garrity, Gray, Dixon, Dunn.

SUBS: Bannister, Richards, Vassallo, Warren.

GOALS:

MAN OF THE MATCH: Wayne Phillips

ATT: 410