Effective and efficient, Morpeth Town claimed three points on a bitterly cold afternoon at Sunderland RCA’s Meadow Park ground.

A goal in each half was enough to see Morpeth to another away day success, David Carson netting in the 33rd minute before Sean Taylor blasted home a second on 81 minutes

In a much-changed line-up, Danny Carson slotted in at right-back, with a front three of Stephen Elliott, Mark Davison and Taylor.

With no Keith Graydon, Liam Henderson or Stephen Forster, Morpeth were thin on the ground in terms of numbers, with Karl Dryden also sidelined with a finger injury. The latter was replaced by new loan signing Dan Lowson, who made his first appearance for the club following a switch from Spennymoor Town.

It was Sunderland who started the brighter of the two and had early chances but Stephen Callen’s two strikes forced decent saves from the debutant stopper.

Colin Larkin was next to go close on 18 minutes but his free-kick from 20 yards, following a Curtis Coppen handball, flew inches past the right hand upright. Morpeth were sporadic in attack, but hit the front 12 minutes before the interval through David Carson.

The midfielder, who had been one of the stand-out performers for The Highwaymen, collected a loose ball from a corner before lashing home a low drive from 20 yards through a crowd of legs.

It was the difference between the two sides at the halfway point but Morpeth set about extending that advantage quickly and nearly did just that on 50 minutes, but Elliott’s toe-ender just couldn’t guide Ben Sayer’s inswinging free-kick from the right into the back of the net.

The Highwaymen were in control of matters in the opening stages of the second period as the home side failed to keep hold of the ball and build from their own half, allowing the visitors to launch attacks down the flanks with regularity even if the final ball was lacking at times.

Callen then had the best chance of the second half on 73 minutes but he couldn’t guide a free header on target, sending it just past the post. It was a costly error for the hosts as Morpeth found the net for a second time through Taylor with nine minutes to go.

The midfielder ghosted in behind the full-back down the right side and lashed home a strike, past Keith Finch, to give the visitors a cushion for the first time in the game.

SUNDERLAND RCA: Finch; Noble, Hodgson, McGuinness, Swansbury (capt), Jonny Davis (Charlton 68), Clayton Davis, Page (O’Neill 80), Callen, Larkin, Cassidy.

SUBS NOT USED: Richardson, Vaulks, Parnaby.

GOALS:

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson; Danny Carson, Reid, Coppen, Turner; Walton, Sayer, David Carson; Taylor, Davison, Elliott.

SUBS NOT USED: Phillips, Fry, Robson, Dodds.

GOALS: David Carson (33), Taylor (81)

ATT: 119