Morpeth Town back at Craik Park for Ashton clash

Lynch and his players had all arrived on South Tyneside for the eagerly-anticipated NPL Premier Division clash but with high winds and heavy rain lashing the sodden pitch at the Sports and Social Ground, the officials decided it couldn’t go ahead.

“It was the right call, 100%,” said Lynch.

“Clubs need games on for revenue and I think referees sometimes find themselves caught in between doing what’s right and doing what’s best for the clubs - but it was always going to be off as it was a ‘named storm,’” he continued.

“Sometimes logical thinking has to prevail as players, supporters, and volunteers have had most of their Saturday wasted now and that’s two games in two weeks – the Senior Cup tie at Newcastle Uni being the other - that have been called off one hour before kick off with no real chance of being played.”

The disruption caused by Storm Darrah meant that only three NPL Premier games got the go ahead and Whitby’s 3-1 defeat at Guisley meant that Morpeth maintained tenth spot in the table.

The amber and blacks are back on home turf this Saturday when they host sixth-placed Ashton United in another big game at Craik Park, and the gaffer is keen for his side to start turning their leafy ground on the Common a fortress.

“We have two very important games at home coming up against two good teams, but we have to push on and get back to picking up results at home,” he said.

Gainsborough Trinity head up to Northumberland on the 21st December before a busy festive schedule sees Morpeth go to Workington on Boxing Day ahead of them hosting local rivals Blyth Spartans in the big one on New Year’s Day.

“We went down to Ashton and got the winner in the stoppage time and I would definitely take that again on Saturday,” said Lynch, as his side look to complete a double over the Hurst Cross outfit.

Jack Foalle fired in that last-gasp winner back in September and he’s the club’s leading scorer with 8 goals so far this season.