Morpeth Town earned a first win in five games as they beat FC United of Manchester 3-0 at Craik Park in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.

Sam Hodgson bagged a brace of first half penalties, with Fenton John finding the net in the second half as the Highwaymen secured three important points.

Town went into the game off the back of four morale-sapping defeats, conceding 19 goals in five games in the process.

Chris Reid was brought back into defence, allowing Danny Barlow to revert to his usual central midfield position at the expense of Ryan Donaldson.

The home side started competently but visiting FC United enjoyed plenty of possession. They didn’t have much to show for it, indeed Morpeth would have the best opening of the first 10 minutes when Jack Foalle fed the on-rushing Will Dowling but the midfielder was denied at the near post by opposition goalkeeper George Murray-Jones.

The visitors were becoming increasingly vocal towards the officials, resulting in two yellow cards before the 15-minute mark, but went as close as they’d come to a goal on 16 minutes when Aaron Bennett’s delightful long-range effort thumped the crossbar.

They’d rue that miss two minutes later when Morpeth were awarded their first spot-kick of the afternoon. Ryan Wombwell side-footed a volley forward that caught FC United napping. Foalle went chasing and was forced wide by a defensive clearance. Then, inexplicably, Murray-Jones pushed over the forward in the box to give the referee little option.

Hodgson dispatched the penalty on 19 minutes and then repeated the trick on 38 minutes after Reid was barged over in the area under a ball into the box.

FC United kept plugging away, with Charlie Munro forcing a fine one-handed save from Dan Lowson in the 42nd minute.

But their start to the second half couldn’t have gone any worse as they fell further behind on 53 minutes and saw their keeper red carded.

Foalle gave chase down the right flank and managed to keep the ball in play, with a defender trying to shield the ball out of play, finding Hodgson who saw his shot saved by Murray-Jones. The ball fell invitingly for John, who steadied himself before finding the top corner.

In the aftermath, keeper Murray-Jones was shown a straight red for something said the referee as his side’s afternoon took another turn.

A few sporadic home chances came and went as Morpeth saw the game out, with Lewis Gilboy’s low shot late on, after being played in behind, saved by Lowson as the visitors rarely looked like turning the result around.

Morpeth are next in action when they travel to league leaders Radcliffe on Saturday.

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Wombwell, Reid (Donaldson 77’), Dowling, Henderson, King, Foalle (Steels 77’), Barlow, Hodgson, John, Bollado (Johnson 74’).

SUBS: Griggs, Boyd.

FC UNITED: Murray-Jones, Ferguson, Hall, Lafferty, Oliver (Willan 56’), Palinkas, Bennett, Griffiths, Woodcock (Swales 46’), Munro (Ennis 71’), Gilboy.

SUBS: Bryan, McLoughlin.

ATT: 484