By Andrew McDonnell (@AndrewSJourno)

Mark Davison scored his second hat-trick in a week as Morpeth Town beat Seaham Red Star 5-2 at Craik Park.

Paul Gardner put the visitors ahead on three minutes before Davison and Ben Sayer turned the game around midway through the first-half.

Robbie Bird levelled on 37 minutes, but Liam Henderson bundled home to hand the hosts an advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Davison added a fourth five minutes after the break and after Bird saw red for an off the ball challenge, the forward rounded off his hat-trick in the closing stages of the game.

Morpeth have now won five games in a row and welcome Guisborough Town to Craik Park on Wednesday evening.

Nick Gray and Dave Malone’s side came into the game off the back of a convincing 2-0 win over league-leaders North Shields.

However, they found themselves behind inside three minutes when Gardner latched upon Bird’s pass and dinked over the approaching Karl Dryden.

Liam Henderso broke through and Shaun Newbrook denied the striker before Morpeth drew level in the game.

Sayer floated a corner to the back post and Davison got his first of the afternoon when he headed home powerfully.

The Highwaymen went ahead for the first time on 21 minutes, Sayer drove from 25-yards into the bottom corner.

Newbrook was rooted to the spot and minutes later the hosts could have doubled their advantage.

Sayer’s corner was pushed off the line by Newbrook before the ‘keeper made a fine stop with his legs, denying Joseph Walton.

Seaham drew level seven minutes before half-time, Kieran Galbraith played Bird down the side of the box and the forward then fired across goal and into the corner.

The hosts found themselves ahead going into half-time though when Henderson bundled in Sayer’s cross at the front post.

Five minutes after the restart, Sayer fizzed a pass into the feet of Davison, who fired across goal and into the net.

Craig Lynch forced Dryden into making a diving stop before the visitors found themselves with a man down just after the hour mark.

Stephen Forster was running back into position when Bird lashed out at the full-back, and the forward was given his marching orders.

Two minutes later, Morpeth could have scored their fifth, but Davison’s shot on the turn cannoned off the crossbar.

Seaham were pressing high and Henderson found himself through one-on-one soon after, but the forward dwelled on the ball and his shot was saved by Newbrook.

The visitors should have been back in the game eight minutes from time, Gardner got the better of James Novak before having his shot saved by Dryden at close range.

Morpeth did manage to seal the three points five minutes from time though, and it had been coming for some time.

Davison latched onto the driving cross, and smashed home from six-yards to complete his hat-trick.

And chances still fell the hosts’ way thereafter, both to Steven Anderson, who was denied superbly by Newbrook on both occasions.

Morpeth now move onto Wednesday clash with Guisborough Town in fine form, before they travel to Hallam in the FA Vase.

Morpeth Town: Dryden, Forster (Robinson, 71 min), Turner, Sayer, Grieve, Reid (Novak, 78 min), Walton, Graydon, Davison, Henderson (Anderson, 83 min), Fry

Subs Not Used: Provett, Hall

Seaham Red Star: Newbrook, Walker, Price, Gardner (Paul, 87 min), Scorer, Galbraith, Palmer (Byrne, 71 min), Kerr, Lynch, Johnson, Bird

Subs Not Used: Hetherington, Kane, Proctor

Goals: 0-1, 3 min, Gardner; 1-1, 12 min, Davison; 2-1, 21 min, Sayer; 2-2, 37 min, Bird; 3-2, 45+2 min, Henderson; 4-2, 50 min, Davison; 5-2, 85 min, Davison.

Referee: Adam Herczeg

Assistants: Owen Easson and Gary Hargrave

Attendance: 147