By Andrew McDonnell (@AndrewSJourno)

Liam Henderson and Ben Sayer both netted twice to ease Morpeth Town to a comfortable 5-1 victory over Northern Alliance side New Fordley at Annitsford Welfare.

Jack Morris handed the hosts a surprise lead after five minutes, but Morpeth responded and came back to lead at the break thanks to Steven Anderson and Henderson.

Anderson was brought down in the area shortly after half-time and Sayer stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way from the spot.

The midfielder scored another before Henderson rolled the ball home within the space of three minutes.

Morpeth were in total control for the duration of the second-half as they managed to secured their third win of pre-season.

The game with New Fordley has became somewhat of an annual match, and it was the hosts who got out the blocks quicker to take the lead early on.

Liam McKee slotted the ball through to Morris, who took the ball into his stride and finished well, hitting his shot high into the net.

Luke Carr and Anderson both went close in quick succession before Morpeth pulled back level in the game.

Carr played the ball over to Anderson, who saw the keeper approaching, so the forward neatly lobbed the ball up and over him and into the net.

The Highwaymen turned the game around in their favour on 27 minutes when they took the lead for the first time in the game.

Matty Grieve swung the ball into the box for Anderson, who brought the ball down the oncoming Henderson, and the forward found the top corner with a good finish.

It wasn’t long after half-time that Morpeth made their bright start to the half pay dividend, Anderson burst through on goal, knocked the ball past the approaching keeper, and was brought down.

Sayer, who was one of five substitutions made at the break, stepped up and made no mistake with the penalty as he sent Adam Brown the wrong way.

The conditions were taking their toll on the hosts, and Morpeth were visibly on top, and goal number four came on 59 minutes.

Fondato slid the ball through to Sayer, who managed to lob the ball over the keeper and into the net from a difficult angle.

One emphatic finish was followed by an emphatic move, and Morpeth had their fifth three minutes later, as their dominance stood out.

Paul Robinson drilled a superb through ball to Anderson, and the wide man found Henderson making the run, and the new summer signing netted his third goal in two games.

Fordley had chances of their own in the closing 20 minutes of the match, with Jack Betts having the pick of them, but he couldn’t take advantage of Karl Dryden’s mistake.

Henderson came close to clinching his first hat-trick for the Highwaymen, but Morpeth closed the game out and look an impressive unit with two pre-season games to go.

New Fordley: Besford (Brown 46), Arkles (Jobson 65), Adams (Pile 74), Wrighthurst, Malone, Pile (Sands 28), Miller (A Trialist 19), McKee (Miller 67), Race (Besford 48), Watson (Betts 54), Morris

Morpeth Town: Dryden, Grieve (Fry 46), Novak, Bell (Swailes 46), Hall (Fondato 46), Johnson, Mullen, Graydon (Robinson 46), Henderson, Carr (Sayer 46), Anderson

Subs Not Used: Chilton, Williams

Goals: 1-0, 5 min, Morris. 1-1, 17 min, Anderson. 1-2, 27 min, Henderson. 1-3, 50 min, Sayer (Pen). 1-4, 59 min, Sayer. 1-5, 62 min, Henderson.

Referee: Peter Osgood

Assistants: Lee May and Steven Mitchell