Morpeth Town manager expects a response after 5-1 humbling at the hands of Hyde United

The Highwaymen were humbled 5-1 at Craik Park last time, a ruthless Hyde United performance exposing a stretched squad missing three defenders through injury and suspension.

With one of those stand-ins limping off midway through the second half, the need for reinforcements has never been greater, with a long, testing campaign entering its final third.

Lynch is all too aware of this and is active in his pursuit of new faces to freshen up a small squad that’s being stretched to its very limits.

“We’ve got a threadbare squad at the minute, we need to get players in,” said the Morpeth boss.

“We lost Will Jenkins back to South Shields, which is a big blow to us.

“We’re always on the phone and we’re trying our best, but we definitely need two or three players in.

“This is the point of the season where we get some in, like we did with Fenton John, Will Jenkins and Sam Hodgson, and it gives people a lift.

“It gives a bit of energy and you get a little more out of players, and you get a response from the squad.

“We will get a response at Atherton.

“We’ve lost one game of football (against Hyde) – I know the scoreline isn’t great – but it’s one game we’ve lost and only two in 10.

“If you don’t turn up at Atherton Collieries and put a shift in, you get beat. It’s the best game to see what we’re about.”

After a fairly even opening on Saturday, Matty Fearnley raced through on goal and rounded keeper Dan Lowson to give the visitors the lead on 24 minutes.

Hodgson was denied an equaliser by a superb stop from Jordan Eastham, the keeper clawing away a header that seemed destined to go in.

Harry Ditchburn doubled the away side’s advantage on 39 minutes before Fearnley scored again on the stroke of half-time.

The striker completed his hat-trick on 49 minutes before Hodgson reduced the deficit with a penalty on 58 minutes.

Harry Bunn scored a spot-kick of his own with two minutes remaining as Hyde secured an emphatic away success.