By Stuart Dick, Head of Media
Denver Morris’ 32nd minute chip was the difference as Morpeth Town picked up their 19th home league victory of the season in a cagey affair with Washington.
It took a delightful lofted ball from Ben Sayer to breach the five man Mechanics back line, hitting Morris in stride who lifted the ball over the onrushing ‘keeper.
With just two minutes left in regulation, Washington were awarded a penalty for a phantom push in the penalty area, Pickard hit the post before converting the rebound, but the ball failed to touch another player meaning the goal was disallowed.
It was the visitors who fashioned the first chance of the game inside three minutes. Matthew Waters latched onto an errant defensive header, but Karl Dryden denied the striker at point blank range,
Within a minute, Morpeth should have taken the lead. Sean Taylor marauded down the left flank before reaching the byline, pulling the ball back to an unmarked Liam Henderson who was unable to keep his effort down from eight yards out.
The Highwaymen continued the pressure the visitors, with particular emphasis on attack down the left. Taylor’s next cross was flapped onto his own post by Dan Gladstone.
A relentless tide of Morpeth pressure over the next 10 minutes, Ben Sayer rifling an effort into the side-netting before Stephen Forster contributed a miss of the season candidate.
Some great interplay down the left get again allowed Sayer to cross low through the six-yard box, the lone figure of Forster with the goal at his mercy two yards out, he spooned his effort over.
As the clock ticked past the halfway point of the first period, Washington ventured forward for only the second time in the match, Rhys Evans lashing an effort wide from the right.
At the other end Keith Graydon, who has netted 10 times this season, struck an audacious 35-yard effort with some venom towards Gladstone’s left hand corner, the ‘keeper aware enough to pluck the ball out of the air.
With 32 minutes played, a real moment of quality from the Highwaymen proved the difference between the two sides.
Sayer picked up the ball in midfield before floating a diagonal ball over the Mechanics back five into the stride of Morris, who took a heavy touch before looping the ball past the onrushing ‘keeper to the joy of the Morpeth faithful.
The final chance of the first 45 fell to Matthew Grieve, who met a Sayer right-wing corner at the back post, the defender unable to hit the target.
The second half saw the visitors spring to life and cause some problems for the Morpeth defence. They entered the miss of the season contest on 51 minutes, a low ball across the box saw Evans miss the target from a yard out right in front of goal.
The next thirty minutes saw little to no action, Jake Pickard for the visitors with the only chance of note with a rasping strike that just cleared Dryden’s crossbar.
The game finally game to life again in the final 10 minutes, with the referee arguably the centre of attention.
Firstly he disallowed a Liam Henderson overhead kick as he adjudged the players boot to be in a dangerous position before awarding the visitors a penalty for a push in the back at a set-piece.
Jake Pickard stepped up and cannoned his effort of the left upright, the ball rebounding to the taker who fired home at the second attempt.
The referee disallowed the goal instantly, as Pickard had touched the ball twice consecutively from a set-piece.
The result sees the Highwaymen move up to second in the Northern League with two games remaining, next up is a home game against Marske on Saturday.
Morpeth Town – Dryden, Forster, Turner, Sayer, Grieve, Reid, Taylor, Graydon (C), Fry (Doninger 75), Henderson, Morris (Anderson 67)
Unused – Robinson, Davison, Novak.
Washington – Gladstone, Bramley, Weldon, Laws, Sands, White, Evans, Herron, Waters, Pickard, Shaw
Subs – Day, Williamson, Molloy, Winthrop, C Laws
