Morpeth Town striker Jack Foalle hits double in derby day win at Blyth

"You're getting sacked in the morning," sang the jubilant Morpeth fans on the terrace behind the goal.

"Spartans get battered everywhere they go," rolled under the corrugated sheet roofing. Young lads banged excitedly on metal advertising hoardings on the perimeter fence.

Blyth were handed an amber - and black - alert as Jack Foalle led the way for the Highwaymen in this Bank Holiday demolition derby.

The shaven-headed Morpeth striker smashed a volley off the crossbar, headed one against the post and tried an audacious effort from the half way line late on.

He also stuck the ball in the back of the Spartans net twice and gave their defence a torrid time with his pace and direct running.

Nathan Buddle returned to haunt his former club and Ryhs Evans also looked pleased to be back on old turf, unluckily smashing a drive into the side netting.

And yet Spartans should have taken an early lead, but Isah Cornet lashed wildly over the bar from a great position.

With both sides starting the day in the NPL Premier relegation zone it was a cagey affair with Town edging things possession wise, though Buddle had to stretch to deny Michael Woods as he burst through the middle.

Two goals just before the break put Morpeth in total control, however. Danny Barlow picked out the unmarked Foalle with a great ball over the top and he tucked it away, then a couple of minutes later Buddle glanced in a header from a whipped over corner. The green and white striped netting bulged, the limbs went up on the concrete steps.

Nicky Deverdics flashed an angled 25 yard free kick just wide in response.

Nic Bollado added the third on the hour when a low driven cross was squared to him and turned his marker inside out before firing coolly past Harrison Bond from 8 yards.

Woods fired over from a good position then at the other end Fenton John side-footed into the bottom corner but was denied by a raised flag.

Spartans just wanted things over by then, but they had to take further punishment with ten minutes to go as Vinnie Steel's cross was tipped into Foalle's path by the stretching keeper. He took a touch then lobbed it back across into the other corner, grinned widely and raised a finger in celebration.

A Jeff Henderson header and a Foalle volley had handed Morpeth the win the last time the two sides met, in the more salubrious surroundings of St. James's Park, in the 2023 NFA Senior Cup Final.

The sea of grey empty seats in the Premier League stadium left the atmosphere flat and somewhat soulless then - while now, in the green and white of Croft Park, it was deflated by the Blyth performance in front of 1,120.

In spells between the Morpeth singing in the second half it was library-like, shellshocked, embarrassed and silent save for seagulls.

Even when Zack Simpson bundled in a consolation from a corner in stoppage time, it raised barely a ripple of applause.

The Morpeth fans had taunted: "We can see you sneaking out," a good five minutes before then, though, as they stayed to applaud their side when they came across at the final whistle.

Solano headed straight down the tunnel.