Morpeth Town beat Wiston Albion 2:0 in the FA Trophy first round qualifying on Saturday. The hosts controlled proceedings from the opening whistle and saw off a side that had beaten them 2:1 just a few months back. By then the visitors were already on the back foot, and they never quite recovered.
Wiston Albion picked up two bookings in five minutes during the first half, the first coming at minute 22 and the second just before the interval. Morpeth sat deep and soaked it up, letting the visitors play into them until the whistle went for half-time.
The breakthrough came at minute 62 when Morpeth finally got over the line. They were rewarded for their patience, and by minute 80 a second goal sealed the victory. Wiston added a third card at minute 67 but could not recover from the deficit.
Hosts registered 111 attacks compared to 94 from the visitors and held 55 per cent possession. Morpeth took one corner while Wiston managed none. The statistics tell the story of a game where the hosts dominated but did not necessarily create overwhelming chances.
The result moves Morpeth into a stronger position in the competition while Wiston Albion's campaign comes to an end. They had won 2:1 at the same stage last season, but this time the hosts were too strong. Cup football has its own rules, and tonight Morpeth played to them.