Lancaster City in Northern Premier League relegation zone after Morpeth defeat

Lancaster City are in the bottom four in the Northern Premier League after a defeat at Morpeth Town last night.

Morpeth’s lead with 24 minutes on the clock was cancelled out by City’s number 9 Dom Lawson, but from then on in the first half, the hosts took control. They went into the break 3-1 up, before adding another in the second half. The Dollies were given a lifeline ten minutes into the second half when Sam Bailey converted a penalty kick, but Morpeth were soon back amongst the goals, scoring another two before City responded with the final goal of the game, scored by Enock Likoy, and the match ended 6-3.

The Dolly Blues had made the loan signing of Fleetwood Town goalkeeper Tom Donaghy since their game at the weekend, and he came straight into the side, replacing Curtis Anderson between the sticks who suffered suspected concussion on Saturday.

Ex-Lancaster man Sam Fishburn was in the starting lineup for the hosts and, although the away side kept him away from the scoresheet, he was one of their most dangerous players.

Lancaster started the game fairly well - Henri Ogunby saw an impressive effort from outside the box on the fifth minute hit the bar. Dale Whitham, David Norris and Kyle Brownhill all had a chance to open the scoring early on, but none of them could convert, and that would come back to haunt them just a few minutes later.

Morpeth’s club captain Jeff Henderson’s header from a corner gave the Highwaymen the advantage. However, that didn’t initially last for long as a header of the Dollies’ own – from striker Dom Lawson – put the game back on level terms.

However, a quick succession of Morpeth Town goals towards the end of the first half, courtesy of Chris Reid and Ryan Wombwell, meant that City trailed by three goals to one at the break.

Just after the second half kicked off, Jack Foalle added a fourth for the hosts, and it this point it was getting to a stage where, on the balance of play, the scoreline was flattering them. Lancaster were awarded a penalty with ten minutes of the half gone, which Sam Bailey converted, giving the Dolly Blues a small chance of getting something from the game.

Within minutes, though, Morpeth were 5-2 up through Michael Turner, and Ryan Wombwell made it six with his second goal of the game.

Both sides had a nervy moment or two when they were forced to clear efforts off the line in between Morpeth’s sixth and Lancaster’s third, which came through Enock Likoy who produced a great consolation effort.

City will now turn their attentions to their return to the Giant Axe on Saturday at 3pm, when they will face Belper Town, who were the league’s bottom-placed side before Tuesday’s set of fixtures. They beat Stalybridge Celtic 2-0, which saw them move up a place into 21st, only behind 20th-placed Liversedge and the 19th-placed Dollies by virtue of goal difference.