Match report proudly sponsored by Northumbria Print

Liam Noble’s pin-point free-kick earned Morpeth Town a share of the spoils at Atherton Collieries in a 1-1 draw in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.

Gareth Peet had put the home side in front in the 36th minute, only for Noble to level with 16 minutes to go at the Skuna Stadium.

Town made a raft of changes to their starting line-up, with Callum Morris, Jeff Henderson, Connor Pani, and Jack Foalle all starting as the Highwaymen tinkered with their formation.

But the first half didn’t go as manager Craig Lynch would have hoped, as his side laboured and failed to create much in the way of clearcut chances.

It was the hosts that would spurn the best opportunities in the early exchanges, Marcus Cusani shooting wide on seven minutes before a flurry of chances saw Highwaymen keeper Dan Lowson save smartly at his near post.

Pani drove straight at Colls stopper Nico Defreitas-Hanson on the quarter-hour mark before Lowson once again denied the home side, this time spreading himself to deny Ollie Brown when clean through.

Noble sent one over the top moments later, before Cusani wasted a good chance after cutting in, but Colls would get the opener on 36 minutes through left-back Peet.

He drove forward down the left flank and lashed a fierce drive towards the near post that found the back of the net to give the home side a deserved advantage at half-time that should have been two but for a close-range header just before the break whistling past the post.

Lowson was again called into action to deny Cusani four minutes after the interval, but Pani had a shot across goal blocked by a defender as Morpeth began to form more of a threat on the front foot on 55 minutes.

Then came their best chance of the game on 58 minutes after Foalle forced his way into the box. The ball fell invitingly for him to strike but his shot was blocked by Defreitas-Hansen.

Then came the quality moment of the contest from Noble. The midfielder found himself over a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area on 74 minutes. With little scope to get it up and down in time, he opted to go for the far top corner and found it with aplomb to equalise for the visitors.

Suddenly, they were buoyant and causing problems for the Colls defence, not least in the 80th minute when Connor Thomson, off the bench, broke into the area from the left but dragged his volley wide of the near post.

It would be the last meaningful chance for either side – bar a couple of Atherton efforts straight at Lowson – as the game ended in a draw.

Town are next in action when travelling to Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday night. Live match commentary can be found by clicking here from 7.40pm.

ATHERTON COLLIERIES: Defreitas-Hansen, C.Smith, Peet, Rooney, Lafferty, L.Defreitas-Hansen, Kershaw, Brown, Cusani, Smith, Fitzmartin.

SUBS: Pettifer, Lenehan, Phelan, Goodwin.

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Robson (Wombwell 85’), Turner, Donaldson, Henderson, Morris, Foalle, Noble, Fishburn (Pearson 60’), Pani (Thomson 60’), Reid.

SUBS: King, Ramsey.

ATT: 232