By Andrew McDonnell (@AndrewSJourno)

Morpeth Town came from behind twice in their FA Vase fourth round game with South Shields before the game was abandoned due to floodlight failure.

David Foley opened the scoring early on before Sean Taylor levelled the game midway through the first-half.

Julio Arca received a red card for a second bookable offence, but the Mariners restored their lead when Michael Richardson struck home after half-time.

Michael Turner and Keith Graydon scored in the space of nine minutes to put the visitors ahead.

Liam Henderson netted a sublime goal seconds before a packed Mariners Park was cast into darkness – the floodlights had gone out with only eight minutes remaining.

Nick Gray and Dave Malone’s side hadn’t played a game since the 6-3 win over Bishop Auckland on 21 December, but they found themselves behind early on.

Morpeth started the game quickly, but it took one long ball over the top and a flick-on to allow Foley in on goal, and the forward made no mistake with his finish.

The hosts went close after a flurry of corners, but on 21 minutes the visitors levelled the game.

Morpeth stole the ball deep inside the Shields half, and Taylor punished the Mariners by curling into the bottom corner for the equaliser.

Robert Briggs’ header had to be cleared off the line just after the half-hour mark before the visitors had a chance to go into the break ahead.

Stephen Forster picked off a Shields defender on the edge of the box, drove into the area and was denied by a brilliant save by the ‘keeper.

The drama continued all the way up to the half-time whistle, as Argentine playmaker Arca received his marching orders for a second bookable challenge.

Morpeth, who had a man advantage going into the second-half, found themselves behind for the second time just seven minutes after the restart.

Graydon acrobatically cleared an effort off the line moments before Richardson latched onto a loose ball and fired into the net from close range.

The rapturous crowd was silenced moments later when Turner, who was returning back to his old ground, fired low into the bottom corner.

Karl Dryden was called into action when he had to dive low to save Foley’s effort, but the visitors stunned the 1,545-strong crowd when they went ahead on 64 minutes.

The Mariners half-cleared a corner, and the ball fell kindly to Graydon on the edge of the area and he rifled into the top corner.

There was some confusion on 74 minutes when Turner was shown a red card for a second bookable offence, however, he hadn’t received a booking in the game prior to that.

The red card was rescinded and the visitors took full advantage of having an extra man as they doubled their advantage in the game.

A flowing break forward ended with Henderson curling into the top corner off the crossbar, but the second the ball hit the net, the floodlights went out.

The officials took both sets of players off the field, and 50 minutes after the ground went into darkness, the game was abandoned.

South Shields: Connell, Baxter, Nicholson (Scroggins, 77), Shaw, Morse, Arca, Briggs, Phillips, Finnigan (Cogdon, 65), Stephenson (Richardson, 29), Foley

Subs Not Used: Smith, Holden

Morpeth Town: Dryden, Forster, Turner, Sayer, Grieve, Reid, Taylor, Graydon (Robinson, 77), Fry, Henderson, Doninger (Anderson, 70)

Subs Not Used: Chilton, Hall, Provett

Goals: 1-0, 7 min, Foley; 1-1, 21 min, Taylor; 2-1, 52 min, Richardson; 2-2, 55 min, Turner; 2-3, 64 min, Graydon; 2-4, 82 min, Henderson.

Referee: Aaron Bannister

Assistants: Elliott Shiers and Davis Holmes

Attendance: 1,545

Photo: Chris Chambers/ CJC Photo (Official Morpeth Town Club Photographer)