Their FA Vase record is…patchy

Morpeth have won three matches to date on their 22nd appearance in the competition, beating North West Counties League duo Padiham and West Didsbury & Chorlton either side of a 1-0 success against Billingham.

However the Highway Men have only been past this stage three times, most recently two years ago when they lost 6-1 at Eastbourne United Association in the last 16.

Curiously, they have been knocked out by opponents from the North West Counties League on eight occasions.

 

They pretty good on home turf

North Shields, back on September 26, are the only visiting team to have left Morpeth’s Craik Park home as victors this season.

In 11 league and cup matches there, they have won nine.

Nor have they been eliminated from the FA Vase in front of their own supporters since a first-round replay defeat in 2008.

 

They’ve visited Barton Stadium before (twice)

Morpeth travelled 190 miles to play Winsford United for an FA Vase second round tie in November 2012.

They lost 1-0, and front man Andy Hurst – via a first-half penalty – scored a decisive goal for Blues.

Lee Duckworth, Adam Foy and Steve Warburton, who like Hurst are former 1874 Northwich players, were also in the hosts’ starting line-up that day.

Meanwhile in September 2004, they lost 2-1 on a visit to Cheshire to play Winsford in an FA Cup clash.

Stuart Wellstead, ineligible this weekend, was in Blues’ starting line-up for the preliminary round encounter.

 

They’ve had a familiar face in their line-up previously

Chris Lunn counted Morpeth Town among his former clubs before relocating to the North West.

The Middlesborough-born front man left 1874 Northwich before the start of the current campaign to join landlords Winsford after scoring six goals in 16 appearances – 10 of those as a substitute – for Ian Street’s men.

Northwich Guardian:

Chris Lunn scores a penalty for 1874 Northwich during a 4-2 win against Bacup last season

 

Like Mike Brandon for 1874, their star turn is a 30-something

Former Republic of Ireland youth international Keith Graydon makes Morpeth tick from the centre of the pitch.

A junior at Sunderland, he scored the winning goal for Spennymoor in the 2013 FA Vase final at Wembley to conclude a run that included a second-round replay success against Winsford United.

His range of passing, and ability to dictate the pace of a game, is one of the biggest challenges for 1874.