Brooks Mileson MEMORIAL League Cup First Round
Morpeth Town 3-1 Bishop Auckland
Dan Taggart 37, Jordan Nellis 63, Steven Anderson 72; James Novak OG 72
By Stuart Dick at Coach Lane
Morpeth Town extended their winning streak to six games after beating Bishop Auckland in the Northern League Cup with the familiar scoreline of 3-1.
It’s the third game in a row with that scoreline, Town’s attacking trio of Daniel Taggart, Jordan Nellis and Steven Anderson all on target for the Highwaymen as they advance to the second round where they will face Consett at home.
The only blemish on the day was an own goal from left-back James Novak, but all in all Nick Gray will be content with the display produced by his side who made four changes from the derby victory over Ashington on Saturday.
Luke Carr came in for the suspended Keith Graydon, while Nellis, Anderson and Taggart replaced Michael Chilton, Lee McAndrew and Jordan Fry to lead the line.
In a cagey opening to the game chances were few and far between for both sides. The best of the early action saw Nellis break down the right wing before finding Ben Sayer at the edge of the area, his first time effort always curling wide of Mark Bell’s goal.
It was hard going for the home side with the determined visitors pressing high and giving Town’s midfield little time on the ball and making it hard to break Bishops down. The best effort the Highwaymen could muster were from long range, Sean Taylor next to trouble the ‘keeper with a tame strike straight at Bell.
As the half wore on Morpeth began to play some of the free-flowing football the fans have been accustomed to this season. Town opened up the visitors with a fine move, Anderson pacing down the left wing, crossing to Taggart via a Nellis dummy, who laid the ball off to Taylor who shaped a first time effort just wide of the left hand upright.
Anderson was causing the visitors a handful down the left wing and created another opportunity in the 29th minute. The forward laid the ball into Nellis on the edge of the area, who turned his defender with ease before hitting a left footed effort just over bar from the angle.
Despite Morpeth beginning to get on top of their opponents, Bishop Auckland did create the best chance in the opening 35 minutes. A mishit clearance was picked up by Ian Ward in the penalty area, he relayed the ball to John Jury who cross to the penalty spot where Kyle Davis he looped an effort over the bar.
The opening goal came on 37 minutes, and much like the game is was extremely scrappy. A low Sayer corner pinballed through the penalty area, eventually falling at the feet of Taggart who turned on the spot before rolling the ball past the despairing dive of Bell into the bottom left hand corner.
Three minutes later the lead was almost doubled, Novak and Nellis combining down the left hand side of midfielder before passing to Taylor, he challenged his way past a defender before finding Nellis in the penalty area who whipped an effort across the six-yard box, agonizingly wide of the right upright.
The final attempt on goal of the half came from an unlikely source. After another Sayer set-piece, the ball was half cleared by the Bishop Auckland backline to Anderson on the right. He picked out Chris Swailes on the edge of the area, his powerful effort stung the palms of Bell as he tipped the ball over.
Much like the first period, the second half started slowly with both sides struggling to mount any pressure on the opposing goalmouth, it took ten minutes for the first half-chance to be created, Taylor winning the ball high up the pitch, crossing from the right, Nellis only able to scoop the ball over under a defenders challenge.
Morpeth’s second was one of the real moves of quality during the entire match. Luke Carr spotted Shaun Henderson breaking down the right and found him in stride, the right-back taking a touch before crossing into the danger area where Nellis was on hand to backheel home, his first goal for the club.
A couple of minutes later, the Two Blues had halved the deficit with an excellent move. After Adam Nicholls had his effort blocked by Henderson, he preserved down the left wing before crossing into the box, a sliding Novak diverting the ball into his own net to give the visitors hope.
Rather than invite pressure, Morpeth went on the offensive to try and put the game beyond doubt, Sayer with a corner to the back post found Swailes who headed wide.
A Bishop Auckland throw-in on 72 minutes led to Town’s third as Taggart robbed a defender of possession. He slid the ball into the path of Taylor who fizzed a right wing cross into the stride of Anderson who tapped home for his first goal of the season.
The remaining 18 minutes provided little joy for the visitors as they pushed to get back in the game, a low Ward effort saved at the second attempt by Morpeth stopper Niall Harrison the only threat to his goal.
