Morpeth Town 3 Westfields 0

WESTFIELDS boss Sean Edwards identified three key incidents which failed to go the city side's way as they made their exit from the FA Vase at the fourth round stage.

"They still had square posts at Morpeth and a shot from Craig Jones hit the angle and came out whereas with a round post it would probably have gone in," he said.

"There was a sending-off decision where one of their players went in two-footed on Scott Jackson but the referee failed to send their man off - that was a bit hard to take when their manager admitted that he was working out what they would have to do down to 10 men.

"And then, there was a penalty decision when a shot from Aidan Thomas hit a defender's hand."

Edwards admitted, however, that Morpeth are a good side.

"To win any competition you need a bit of luck and I'd said all along that we would have to defend really well to get a result up there," he said. "Morpeth have three full-time players and had a strong team of experienced players used to big games.

"It would have been easier if we had been drawn to go south as it's always tough to go north - football is still a religion up there."

Craig Jones saw a shot flash just the wrong side of an upright and Scott Jackson had a header cleared off the line by Sean Taylor, the ex-Sunderland and Blackpool player who was the game's outstanding performer.

Fields keeper Matt Gwynne saved well from Stephen Forster and Thomas also had a shot well stopped at the other end before the home side took the lead on 37 minutes when a looping header from Michael Chilton found the net.

After the break, Jones was denied by the woodwork and Brad Birch had a shot saved before Chilton headed in a Taylor cross on 77 minutes to extend the lead.

In the dying seconds, Morpeth broke away for Chilton to complete his hat-trick and seal the win.