Lancaster City close gap to Northern Premier League play-offs after Morpeth victory

A comfortable victory over Morpeth Town moved Lancaster City to within four points of the play-off places in the Northern Premier League Premier Division on Good Friday.

It was a rapid start with the first goal coming within the first 90 seconds, as Dylan Moonan played the ball long down the left hand side for Nathan Caine to chase, before laying it off to Steven Yawson who found the top corner.

Six minutes later, Christian Sloan teed up Sam Bailey and from 30 yards his shot was just wide.

It wouldn’t be long before the advantage was doubled. A quick one-two between Nathan Caine and Nic Evangelinos gave Caine the chance to play Yawson in, and after beating the offside trap, he slotted it past Dan Langley for his and Lancaster's second.

Christian Sloan let fly from about 25 yards out forcing another save from Langley, before the visitors would stem the flow of Lancaster's attack and look to get back into the game, but couldn’t get much on target.

The second half brought a better performance from the visitors, Nic Bollado fired over shortly after the restart before a barrage of corners which Callum Feeney and his defence were able to intercept before any meaningful attack.

Sam Bailey forced Langley into a save from a free kick on the hour mark, before Morpeth's best effort of the day, as William Dowling letting fly from distance but it was down the throat of Feeney.

Lancaster's third goal came on 73 minutes – with work down the right hand side by Yawson and Joe Amison, the cross from Amison was just over substitute Jim Craig's head, but defender Josh Robson inadvertently lobbed the ball over Langley to end the game as a contest.

There was one last chance for the home side on 85 minutes, with substitutes Matty Clarke - making his 50th appearance for the Dolly Blues - playing the ball into Lewis Mansell who on the turn saw his effort pushed onto the post by the keeper from close range.

The win marked one year to the day since Jimmy Marshall was appointed Lancaster City manager, and closed the gap to the play off places to four points, ahead of a trip to Irongate to take on Bamber Bridge on Easter Monday, with a 3pm kick off.