Morpeth Town lost for the first time in 13 games as a pulsating clash with West Auckland Town ended in defeat.

Curtis Coppen gave Morpeth an early lead, taking 17 minutes to head home from close in, before the hosts scored two in five minutes with Nathan Fisher and Daniel Parker finding the target. Chris Reid put The Highwaymen back level just before the interval before Amar Purewal edged West Auckland ahead once more in stoppage time.

After joining the club from Berwick Rangers earlier in the week, Chris McDonald made a start at left-back. Liam Henderson was also back in the starting line-up after recent outings from the bench.

Following tense early exchanges, Parker had the first effort of note for either side, the West Auckland Town centre-half rising highest to nod a right-wing corner way over the top. Although that eighth minute chance passed without danger, it highlighted a lack of attacking penetration from visiting Morpeth, whose first opportunity didn’t arrive until the 14th minute when Henderson’s speculative long-range effort was comfortably claimed by former Blyth Spartan Adam McHugh.

By the 17th minute, however, Morpeth were in front with a perfectly worked set-piece routine. Ben Sayer delivered a peach of a free-kick in from the right and found the head of Coppen who stooped to head home from the centre of the six-yard box and earn his fourth goal of the campaign. Although simple in its construction, the delivery and header proved incredibly effective as Town grasped the early initiative.

The Highwaymen grew into the game and could have had a second seven minutes later but, following Sayer’s threaded through ball, David Carson narrowly missed the target with a dinked attempt.

The home side were looking a threat going forward and found themselves level on 29 minutes through a familiar name. Fisher latched on to an Adam Mitchell through ball and needed no second invitation to round keeper Dan Lowson and slot into an empty net for his 26th league goal of the season.

The home side turned the game on its head by the 35th minute and found themselves ahead as Parker atoned for his earlier missed header with a towering back post effort which squeezed in between a Morpeth player and the post.

The Highwaymen were far from done on the scoring front and restored parity two minutes before half-time through Reid. The centre-back towered over everyone else to nod in a delightful in-swinging David Carson free-kick from the left and put Morpeth back on level terms. However, that lasted all of two minutes as Purewal put West Auckland back in front after being played through by Fisher.

The second half started in frantic fashion as first Fisher’s shot across goal was blocked by sub Danny Carson, before the striker’s cut-back seconds later was bundled wide by Ben Wood when the forward should have scored.

Morpeth were pouring forward themselves in search of a leveller and David Carson so nearly provided it in the 49th minute. However, after cutting inside with ease, the midfielder’s shot was too close to West stopper McHugh. It was a signal of the away side’s intent as they pressed for a third. Henderson was next to go close as his side-foot finish was straight at McHugh in the 55th minute.

Henderson went close again on 64 minutes but his glancing header, from a Sayer ball in from the right, flew past the far post as Morpeth hammered on the door seeking an equalising goal. Plenty of pressure and possession in West Auckland territory failed to earn a third goal for the visitors as sub Wayne Phillips sent a 74th minute bobbling shot straight at McHugh. Fisher was proving a menace on the counter at the other end and it took a superb sliding challenge, seconds before Phillips’ chance, from Danny Carson to prevent West extending their lead.

But it was all Morpeth as they sought to maintain their 12-game unbeaten run. In the 81st minute, it was Henderson who had the chance to level but when clean through he hit the feet of McHugh with his shot and the chance was lost. West Auckland could have put the result out of sight in stoppage time, but Lowson got a strong hand to a Fisher strike from the edge of the box.

The away side just couldn’t find a way through and suffered only their second league defeat of the season. Morpeth are next in action when they host Seaham Red Star on Wednesday at Craik Park (7.30pm).

WEST AUCKLAND TOWN: McHugh; Morris, Cobain, Colquhoun, Parker, Mitchell, Purewal, Wade, Fisher, Wood (capt), Richardson.

SUBS NOT USED: McKeown, Wearmouth, Connor, Galpin.

GOALS: Fisher (30), Parker (35), Purewal (45)

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson; Forster, Reid, Coppen (Danny Carson 30), McDonald; David Carson, Graydon (capt) (Phillips 62), Sayer, Taylor; Henderson, Davison (Elliott 78).

SUBS NOT USED: Fry, Norris.

GOALS: Coppen (17), Reid (43)

ATT: 179