By Ben Potts
After checking out both Stockton Town and Team Northumbria in recent days, our latest opposition feature looks at the remaining promoted side, Billingham Synthonia.
Club: Billingham Synthonia
Nickname: The Synners
Founded: 1923
Ground: Norton Sports Complex
Craik Park to Norton: 49 miles
Last Season: 3rd in Division two (promoted)
Twitter: @synthonia
The fixture on 12 August will be Morpeth’s first home game of the season at Craik Park, where they had only lost one game in the entirety of last season. It’ll also be the first away game in Division One for two years for the Synners after their promotion last term.
It’ll be the first meeting between the two clubs since the Highwayman prevailed 4-0 at Craik Park on the final day of the 2014/15 season, which compounded Billingham’s relegation to Division Two.
That victory was part of a double for Nick Gray and Dave Malone’s side after a 2-0 win at Central Avenue on 15 November, 2014. In April 2017, Billingham agreed a deal to play at the Norton Sports Complex for two seasons because of upgrading costs at Central Avenue (Wiki).
Conrad Hillerby’s side sealed promotion by finishing third in Division Two last season. They won 30 games, scored 89 goals and accumulated 86 points.
Synners’ top-scorer last term was Conor Winter, who netted 14 times and four times for Ryhope CW. Max Craggs scored 11 times after his mid-season arrival from eventual champions Stockton Town.
Morpeth’s first Northern League win over Billingham came at Craik Park on 20 April, 1999 at the sixth attempt after three draws and two defeats. Their first victory at Central Avenue came on 6 October, 2001 thanks to a 2-0 win.
Morpeth’s biggest victory was the 4-0 success in the last meeting in 2015, while their biggest defeat was a 5-2 reverse at Central Avenue on 6 March, 2010 in the season the Highwayman were relegated.
The overall record since the 1996/97 season stands at 15 Morpeth wins, 12 Billingham victories and six draws in 33 games in all competitions.
