A sensational display saw Morpeth Town cap off their 2023/24 Pitching In NPL Premier Division campaign with a 6-0 win over Stafford Rangers.
Their biggest win at this level of football, the Highwaymen were superb from start to finish with Sam Hodgson’s hat-trick among many highlights. In a tale of loanees, Hodgson, who returns to South Shields, bagged his first treble (and the signed match ball) for Town in his final appearance, while Middlesbrough loanee Fenton John also signed off his spell with a brace. Jack Foalle added to his tally too.
The game started with a goal on five minutes, from striker Hodgson. The hard work was done by Foalle, being afforded an acre of space as he dashed down the right flank, the winger crossing for Hodgson to score from close range.
Stafford mustered a response and probably should have levelled on 12 minutes when a header across goal from a corner was cleared off the line with an ensuing six-yard-box scramble seeing the ball smuggled to safety.
After Nic Bollado’s 19th minute effort was comfortably fielded by Cam Belford in the Stafford goal, Foalle registered his 10th goal of the season.
Coming in at the back post, Foalle side-footed into the net to give his side a two-goal lead in a game that was slipping away alarmingly quickly from their visitors.
It should have been three on 28 minutes but Bollado, after dancing past Belford and shooting from five yards, found the legs of a despairing defender as Rangers avoided further damage.
That was until the 37th minute when Hodgson scored his second of the day. The striker, played in behind the defence, showed the deftest of touches to chip the keeper from distance and score the stand-out goal of the game.
Bollado lashed just past the far post on 39 minutes as Town threatened to run riot before half-time. But the whistle would only bring temporary respite as the home side started the second half as they finished the first.
Great 50th minute link-up play put Hodgson in for his hat-trick, but the forward dragged his shot wide of the near post when off-balance.
He wouldn’t need to wait long for that third goal, five minutes to be precise, as Bollado cut the ball back for Hodgson to confidently thump home and make it 4-0.
Matt Boyd, Matty Griggs, and Oscar Baston – all academy players – were brought off the bench to get valuable first team minutes, adding to Will Dowling’s presence and make for a youthful end third of the game.
But it wouldn’t halt Morpeth’s progress, with Dowling denied by Belford when played through on 68 minutes. Foalle fizzed a long range shot just over the top on 79 minutes before John’s brace in the final minutes.
The first came on 88 minutes, the midfielder, impressive throughout his latest stint at the club, lifting the ball elegantly over the keeper to score from the edge of the box.
Stafford were eager for the final whistle and it would arrive, seconds after John scored again into the far corner to make it 6-0.
It was a record victory for the Highwaymen and a fine way to finish the season as the club finished 13th, a significant improvement on the previous campaign.
MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Robson, Steels, Dowling, King, Wombwell (Boyd 61’), Foalle, Barlow (Griggs 61’), Hodgson (Baston 77’), John, Bollado.
SUBS: Donaldson, Davison.
STAFFORD RANGERS: Belford (Sandel 70’), Burns, Stafford, Lee, O’Neill, Burroughs, Brereton (Stewart 46’), German, Anderson, Willis, Rushbury (Porter 46’).
SUBS: Heath, Cooke.
ATT: 514
