Highwaymen denied by late leveller

As it was, a similarly spectacular late leveller from Adam Porter earned Leek Town as share of the spoils.

It was tough luck on a Morpeth team that had dug in with a gritty display – and if Dan Langley hadn’t produced a top-class diving save to deny a similar stoppage time flyer from Hayden Campbell, it could have been worse.

The point moved the Highwaymen back up into seventh ahead of this weekend’s trip to a Matlock Town side who are battling just outside the relegation zone.

Substitute appearances from Danny Barlow and Nathan Buddle should mark their returns from injury ahead of the journey.

“It was another good game,” said boss Craig Lynch.

“We played Leek a couple of weeks ago and we knew they were strong – we nicked a 1-0, then they went on and beat FC United 5-2 and Ashton 3-1, so we knew it was going to be tight. I thought we were going to nick it 1-0 again, but there was probably two bits of quality in the whole game and that was Jack’s goal and their lad’s goal.”

Foalle received the ball wide on the right, cut inside and unleashed a fierce left-footed drive curling into the top corner for the opener in the 16th minute.

It was almost two on the half hour when Sam Hodgson forced his way through and fired a powerful near post volley that smashed Leek keeper Dino Visser in the face.

“I’ve found it very hard this season to be disappointed with the lads, but I think our home form when we’ve been 1-0 up, to go and kill the game with two, which we’ve done in years gone by, we’ve not done this season. I thought we had a couple of chances and with a bit more quality in the final third, 2-0 would have taken the pressure off,” continued Lynch.

Hodgson’s near post effort from a low Foalle cross was turned round the post by a diving Visser and Foalle himself drilled one into the side netting after bursting down the right.

Porter fired in the leveller from distance with just two minutes to go.

“I can’t fault the lads. It’s another week where they’ve given everything. To sit seventh in the League from what we’ve had to do this season at this stage of the season, honestly, people wouldn’t believe it, but I know what we and the lads have done.”