Tensions had been running high in the lead up to the game and it took just 30 seconds for the visitors to see red when, after a scuffle broke out, Jordan Fry looked to have thrown a punch in to a crowd of United players.

As others around them were losing their heads, a ruthless United kept their cool to dispatch of their Northern opponents with relative ease.

Ryan McBride started the rout with a fine header before Joe Dryer and Wes Tate found the net and McBride added his second to send them racing into a four goal lead at the interval.

Stephen Forster might have given the visitors a life-line when he pulled a goal back but Tate and Jack Divall ended the contest.

“It was a phenomenal performance,” assistant manager Scott Price said.

“Obviously it was helpful with the sending off in the first minute but we knew what they were going to be like, we knew if we out our tackles in they’d react, and they did.”

The game shouldn’t be remembered for the fight which broke out in the first minute, with Jordan Fry taking exception to Jack Franklin’s strong looking challenge.

Numerous players might have been sent off but Fry was the one left in the changing rooms to hear the crowd roar as McBride scored the opening goal of the game.

Luke Denton was left in a heap after a high challenge and Dryer swung in the resulting free-kick for McBride to guide in to the bottom corner on just seven minutes.

Dryer was at his marauding best all afternoon and he danced in to the area to rifle past a hapless visiting keeper in to the far corner just before the half-hour mark.

McBride then added his second with a flying header at the back stick, after Tate flicked on a throw in .

And Tate scored the goal of the game himself just before half-time.

The visitors were made to pay for conceding yet another throw which Tate controlled expertly before unleashing an unstoppable drive in to the top corner from all of 25-yards.

Police could be seen arriving at the break but whatever happened in the visiting changing room seemed to give them some impetus as Forster controlled a lofted through ball to slot past Grant Young.

Captain Shaun Loft was visibly annoyed by the goal and Morpeth threatened again when they rattled the cross bar shortly afterwards.

But his troops rallied to put an end to any hopes of an unlikely comeback when Tate linked up with McBride once more before cooly finishing with his left foot from the edge of the area.

Jack Divall was introduced in place of Matt Maclean and made an instant impact by scoring the sixth and final goal.

Franklin worked the ball in well from the right hand side and Divall nipped in front of the keeper to put the seal on an excellent afternoon’s work for United.

Linton Rogers might have made it seven but was felled as he rushed through on goal.

And with United’s place in the next round, where they will face Ampthill, already booked, the visitors attempted to turn the game in to a farce

Stephen Anderson and Shaun Bell were shown second yellows for stupid challenges, much to the delight of the crowd.

Both players were taunted as they left the field, while United were greeted as heroes by their fans at the whistle.

Match report courtesy of Eastbourne Herald