Morpeth Town fell to a 4-1 loss at Guiseley on a rain-soaked afternoon in Yorkshire in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.
A Jack Foalle own goal after just three minutes set the tone, but Sam Hodgson equalised on 29 minutes for the visitors. Reece Kendall put the hosts in front of 40 minutes, a lead extended on 51 minutes by Jameel Ible before a fourth was added by Kofi Moore on 64 minutes.
Town sought a bright start to arrest a run of three straight league defeats but instead endured the worst imaginable as they fell behind three minutes in. A corner in from the left found Kendall, who nodded across goal to Danny Barlow and Foalle. The latter attempted to head clear but instead diverted the ball past keeper Dan Lowson and into his own net.
Michael Afuye, who caused constant problems down the right flank, should have doubled the lead on 14 minutes but, after twisting Ryan Wombwell inside out, he was denied superbly by Lowson.
A Guiseley free-kick was deflected narrowly wide on 20 minutes but Morpeth were growing into the contest and restored parity on 29 minutes.
It was a brilliant strike from Hodgson, the forward latching on to a ball over the top which caused indecision between defender and a goalkeeper coming charging out. With keeper Ollie Battersby in no-man’s land, Hodgson lifted a sublime effort into the far corner to equalise.
Town could, and possibly should, have taken the lead three minutes later but Nic Bollado’s effort across goal was deflected past the far post.
Looking to get to half-time on par, the Highwaymen conceded with five minutes of the half left. Kendall was the man to rise highest, nodding a header into the ground before it ended up in the roof of the net.
Trailing at the break, a strong start to the second half was required. But they conceded on 51 minutes when another set-piece delivery wasn’t dealt with and Ible was there to slam home from close range.
Kallan Murphy struck the bar with a header on 55 minutes, but the fourth goal wouldn’t take long to arrive and it came through Moore’s 64th minute strike.
With the result beyond doubt, there was still time for substitute Liam Tongue to drill a long-range shot just wide for the hosts before Will Dowling, making his first start for the club, created space but couldn’t finish off an 87th minute run.
Gabriel Johnson blazed over from close range for Guiseley in the closing stages but it wouldn’t change an outcome decided long before the final whistle.
Town are next in action when hosting FC United on Saturday at Craik Park (3pm).
GUISELEY: Battersby, Brown, Kendall, Whelan (Tongue 78’), Walker, Ible, Afuye, Ekpolo, Murphy (Johnson 65’), Mariette, Moore (Dawson 65’).
SUBS: Denton, Ashman.
MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Foalle, Wombwell, Dowling, Henderson, King, Steels (Lynn 71’), Donaldson, Hodgson, Barlow, Bollado (Boyd 78’).
SUBS: Johnson.
ATT: 609
