An utterly absorbing contest ended in Josh Robson scoring in the 100th minute to seal a 3-2 win over Radcliffe in the Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round.
Town, after conceding to Anthony Dudley’s 2nd minute opener, recovered to lead 2-1 thanks to Michael Turner and Jeff Henderson. Jordan Hulme equalised in the 97th minute for the visitors but Robson intervened at the death to seal safe passage to the next round.
The game ebbed and flowed throughout with Radcliffe enjoying the better start and taking the lead on two minutes through Dudley.
The number 10 was on hand to shoot, via a deflection, off the far post after Jude Oyibo knocked the ball back into his path.
It was a sloppy start but Morpeth recovered almost immediately, scoring on six minutes to restore parity through Turner.
The centre-half rose highest to thump a header home from Liam Noble’s corner and pull his side level.
Both sides were intent on scoring the next goal and Radcliffe came as close as possible through Josh Hancock, who curled a dipping, bending drive off the underside of the crossbar in the 13th minute.
Town responded with an effort of their own seconds later, but Sam Hodgson, putting in another fully charged performance, couldn’t find the target with a shot on the turn after the keeper had spilled a cross.
Nicky Adams bent a shot away from goal for the visitors two minutes later as chances came and went at a frenzied rate, with Olly Thornley’s headed attempt cleared off the line and Oyibo’s low strike dragged off target as Radcliffe enjoyed a period of dominance.
Symbolic of the game, Morpeth once again responded in fine style, Andrew Johnson forcing keeper Mateusz Hewelt into a fine 25th minute save while Danny Barlow thumped the near post seconds later.
The latter duo combined well for Barlow to volley into the grateful grasp of the goalkeeper on 37 minutes and Johnson side-footed over the top at the back post as Morpeth failed to find a way through for a second time in the half.
Oyibo squandered a glorious chance when sailing past Turner to shoot at the near post but the scoreline would be all-square at the interval.
Both sides seemed intent on getting a result on the day and started the second half with the same tempo and intensity as the first.
The first chance of the second period would fall to Radcliffe’s Jordan Hulme in the 50th minute but, after being played in behind, he was denied superbly by Highwaymen stopper Dan Lowson. As play rushed up the other end, Vinnie Steels wriggled through two challenges but saw his low shot at the near post pushed behind by Hewelt.
Then, on 68 minutes, came Morpeth’s second, as a second centre-back profited from a second in swinging delivery from Noble.
Capitalising on Radcliffe’s weak spot, a set-piece once again wasn’t dealt with, allowing captain Henderson to rise above all challengers and head in at the far post.
Now staring elimination in the face, Radcliffe, who had led, were urgently looking for an equaliser, one that should have arrived on 72 minutes. But, with the goal at his mercy, Scott Duxbury headed off target.
Hodgson flashed a dangerous pass across goal on 79 minutes, and Thornley side-footed an effort on to the roof of the net as both sides sought an all-important next goal in the closing stages.
But there was still plenty of time for a grandstand finale.
Substitute Jack Foalle should have ended the game as a contest when played clean through but found only the legs of Hewelt on 84 minutes, with Henderson nodding over from the resulting corner.
A tiring home side were holding the line in the closing stages but they couldn’t hold out in the 97th minute, when conceding what looked like a decisive Hulme equaliser. The striker, showing his quality, cut back inside and bent a shot into the far corner to send those of a Radcliffe persuasion into wild celebrations.
Despite the lateness of the goal, there was one final twist thanks to Robson. The Town right-back, once again a solid element of the defensive set-up, in the 100th minute, beat a tired-looking attempt to play the offside trap to nod home from seven yards and send Craik Park into raptures.
Once again the Highwaymen showed themselves to have a resilience, a commitment, and a desire to out-last their opponent, going right until the end to get a result that puts their name in the hat for Monday’s draw.
Town are next in action when welcoming Gainsborough Trinity to Craik Park for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.
Morpeth Town: Lowson, Robson, Miller, Jenkins, Henderson, Turner, Steels (Thomson 66′), Noble, Hodgson (Donaldson 90′), Barlow, Johnson (Foalle 66′).
Subs: Wombwell, King, Sayer.
Radcliffe: Hewelt, Morgan, Oyibo (Navarro 73′), Duxbury, Thornley, Maynard, Jackson (Thompson 67′), Adams, Hulme, Dudley (Bange 75′), Hancock.
Subs: Thompson, Smith, Evans, Mercer, Fitzpatrick.
ATT: 366
