BY Aaron Hindhaugh
In association with:
ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant
Pre-season friendly
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
BLYTH SPARTANS 2-3 MORPETH TOWN
Blyth Spartans weren’t able to complete a comeback against Morpeth Town but put in a valiant display in the first game back at Croft Park.
Spartans found themselves 3-0 down after just 19 minutes but pulled two back just before half time to get back in the game.
It was another good 90 minutes for Blyth, who could have pulled back level with the chances they had in the second half.
Morpeth Town opened the scoring through Carl Finnigan after 10 minutes.
Jack Foalle doubled the visitors’ lead after 16 minutes. The former Whitley Bay striker then got his second of the game moments later in stunning fashion.
Olly Scott got one back for Blyth 10 minutes before half time before Panos got Blyth to within one of Morpeth just three minutes later.
The first chance of the game fell to Blyth after a quick corner found its way Panos who delicately flicked the ball over a defender before cutting back to Trialist who saw his shot deflect narrowly wide.
Liam Noble worked the ball wide to Michael Turner who delivered a low cross into the six-yard box for Johnson to tap home into an empty net.
Foalle picked up the ball near the touchline before cutting inside and past a few defenders and then curled a shot into the top corner from 20-yards.
Four minutes later Johnson was slipped through by Noble but Trialist made himself big to make a stunning save from point-blank range.
From the resulting corner former Spartans, Ryan Hutchinson glanced a header towards the back post and Foalle tapped home his second goal of the game.
Blyth began to get a foothold in the game after conceding the third goal, playing on the counter-attack and beating the Morpeth press.
Scott latched onto a loose ball after some communication in the Morpeth defence and chipped home from 20-yards into an open net.
Spartans kicked into gear after Morpeth’s third goal and Robbie Dale almost got Blyth’s second after faking to shoot and then bending one destined for the corner only for Town’s keeper to tip it around the post.
A manic three minutes saw Dan Lowson tip a thunderous effort onto the post from Simon Heslop but Panos was quickest to react and tapped home into the far corner for a deserved second goal after a rejuvenated last 20 minutes of the first half.
A slower start to the second half saw both sides struggle to keep hold of the ball with a lot of fouls being committed stopping the game being able to flow like the first half.
Spartans created a half chance through McKeown as he slipped away from three defenders before firing a shot goalwards before seeing it blocked by Turner’s outstretched arms but no penalty was given.
Some great battling from Panos on the halfway line saw him hold off three Morpeth players before releasing McKeown who had two defenders chasing him and flashed a shot wide of the near post.
McKeown involved again, this time cushioning a high ball into the path of Hislop whose first time volley was set up perfectly but could only fire it into the ground and then into Lowson’s grasp.
Morpeth should have restored their two-goal lead as Henderson found himself unmarked in the middle of the box but could only glance his header wide of the far post.
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Blyth Spartans: Trialist, Evans, Charlton, Heslop, Thackray, Nelson, Dale, Trialist, Panos, McKeown, Scott. Subs used: Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Dart, Guy.
Goals: Scott (36), Panos (39)
Morpeth Town: Lowson; Williams, Turner, Sayer, Hutchinson, Reid, Foalle, Oliver, Finnigan, Noble, Johnson. Subs used: Phillips, Hodgson, Forster, Trialist.
Goals: Finnigan (10), Foalle (16, 19)
Attendance: Behind closed doors