A Will Dowling special earns Morpeth Town a vital win in relegation battle
The great escape is on.
Will Dowling’s superb strike lit up a relegation battle against Hyde United at Craik Park – and drew the Highwaymen level with them on points.
There looked little real danger when he collected the ball 25 yards from goal on the angle.
But he picked his spot and fired a sweetly struck, slightly swerving, drive into the top corner leaving keeper Li-Bau Stowell rooted to the spot for a vital 51st minute winner.
“It doesn’t matter who we play against, today we could have been against top or bottom, it was about just staying in the game and just grinding it out and grinding them down,” said Morpeth boss Craig Lynch.
“Nobody put a foot wrong and we’ve won it with another Will Dowling special. I thought he was outstanding today.”
The midfielder had experienced new signing Michael Woods in the centre of the park alongside him, and Lynch felt having the former York City and South Shields man in there took a bit of pressure off.
“Dowas is 21 and he’s been the most experienced midfielder for most of the season, and that shows where we have been. Getting Woodsy in there allowed him a little bit more freedom and allowed him to concentrate on himself and he’s gone and deserved that goal because I thought he was magnificent.”
The match itself was dogged by lots of pushing, grappling and holding, and littered with fouls, Hyde being reduced to 10 men in the 59th minute when Kieran Lloyd was dismissed for a bad challenge on Woods.
“A second goal would have been nice just to get my blood pressure down a bit, but we saw out the game brilliantly,” continued Lynch, who was also delighted to see Luke James back in the side and said he’d been ‘a massive miss’.
He also praised the contribution of Ryan Chater as the youngster had to play at right back following a ‘crazy’ injury to Rhys Evans ahead of the game.
Town have seven games remaining and are in the relegation zone on goal difference only ahead of their visit to Bamber Bridge on Saturday, with at least six other sides all in the mix to avoid the drop.