Cambridge United 2:1 Morecambe
Mullin Earns Further Stripes – as Morecambe See Red. Again…
Morecambe travelled south to Cambridge today to face the leaders of League Two for the second game in a row. Last Saturday, the Shrimps beat Cheltenham Town in Lancashire to allow the U’s to capture their top spot right at the pinnacle of the division. Cambridge have won all three of their last five league matches; lost the one before that and won the other one as well. In previous games against the Shrimps, Cambridge have actually won fewer than they have lost: they have been beaten six times and won just five of fourteen previous clashes in all competitions. However, two of these victories have been significant. Five years ago, they scored seven goals without reply against Jim Bentley’s team on their own ground: the worst defeat Morecambe have ever suffered in their EFL history so far. Last September, in the reverse fixture, they put five goals past Derek Adams’ side and conceded none. This remains the Shrimps’ worst league hammering of the season. So there was a lot to play for today: points and pride. Morecambe had played one game fewer than their hosts but lay just five points behind them in sixth position in the table at the start of play.
United included ex-Shrimp Paul Mullin in their line-up today. Paul scored the opening goal of their win at Carlisle last Saturday and – in doing so – established a new goal-scoring record for any U’s player ever with 25 so far this season. In honour of this achievement, one of the stands at the Abbey Stadium has been renamed in honour of him – at least until the end of the season. Well done to the lad – but we all hoped that he would leave his shooting boots at home today.
U’s Manager Mark Bonner has gone under the radar so far this campaign. At just 34, one of the youngest managers in the EFL has quietly steered United to the top of the pile with the minimum of fuss since he took over from Derek Adams’ former boss Colin Calderwood just over a year ago. On the field, his men have regularly done the business for him and routinely racked-up the points for a promotion push which has never shown any sign of faltering. Mr Bonner said before the game:
“There’s just more teams in it than ever and the gap between the top (and the bottom) is tighter than ever. Even at this stage of the season going into Easter weekend, there’s still a lot of teams that could finish top and a lot of teams that could get in the top seven. I think it’s always been a league that is sometimes difficult to get on consecutive long runs. There’s very few teams capable of doing it. We’ve won three on the bounce – that’s only the second time we have done that this year in the league. Anyone can beat anyone. It makes for a really exciting finish to the season when there is so much that can happen still and so many positions can change between now and the end.”
For Morecambe, Derek Adams had decided to revert to his usual formation today. That meant that twin striker from last week – Liam McAlinden – was returned to the bench to be replaced by Ben Pringle for his first League Two start of the season.
It was dry but the sky was a bit grey as the match kicked-off in the fenlands. Morecambe initially played up the slope against a fairly strong wind and found themselves on the back foot right from the off. Kyle Letheren did brilliantly to control a lobbed back-pass from Kelvin Mellor which was heading away from him for a corner to the hosts after just two minutes with some nifty footwork. He made an easy save from Paul Mullin after eight minutes but with Wes Hoolahan pulling the strings, United were quicker to the ball and more decisive in their play early on. They scored after seventeen minutes when an unchallenged Callum Knoyle played a deep ball in from the Cambridge right, Joe Ironside put in a powerful header at the far post; Letheren did well to parry it only for you-know-who to react fastest and smack the ball home in front of the stand that has been named after him. Regrettably, he had not left his shooting boots at home. The team in amber and black continued to dominate after this, aided and abetted by some strange decisions from Referee David Rock, who allowed the home team to get away with a succession of crafty nudges and last minute pushes and pulls without penalising them. To be fair, he did well to play advantage, though, when Hoolahan almost pulled Aaron Wildig’s shorts off in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the Morecambe man escaping with the ball right at the end of the half. But he should have booked the Cambridge player once the move had broken down. Having said that, the home team suffered too. It seemed to me that the U’s had a decent shout for a penalty after 33 minutes when a cross from close-range on their left flank seemed to clearly hit Mellor on his arm. But The Rock was not moved by this either.
United almost went further ahead after 23 minutes. The Shrimps had been attacking via Ben Pringle and Carlos Mendes-Gomes had a shot blocked before that man Hoolahan intercepted and carried the ball a long way into the visitors’ half before passing to Mullin on the right. He, in turn, received the ball back from Cambridge’s playmaker again and slung a cross over to the far post where Liam O’Neil headed it down only for a panic-stricken Shrimps’ rearguard to manage to clear it. Just about. The Number 14 with an amber shirt on his back was instrumental in another good chance after 37 minutes, picking-out Knoyle on the right after another clever interception only for Letheren to save the full-back’s shot without too much trouble. Morecambe offered little during the opening half an hour going forward. It seemed to me that Wildig was fouled as he crossed the ball from the right after nineteen minutes but the Ref gave nothing again before home keeper Callum Burton pushed the ball away at full stretch. With twenty-eight minutes on the clock, the home stopper was again called into action to block a shot from the Morecambe right from a long way out after a corner taken by Pringle had been cleared. Too often though, good anticipation and interceptions by the away team led to nothing due to poor decision-making and even poorer passing. I felt, however, that the visitors started to get a grip on the game in the last quarter of an hour or so. They managed to play – and keep the ball – in the hosts’ half for the first time. So the teams returned to the dressing rooms with United in the lead but the visitors looking as if they might have something to say about this during the second half.
Cambridge could have gone further ahead right from kick-off when a well-placed Joe Ironside headed over Mullin’s cross from the right. But Morecambe started to press the U’s further up the field and were beginning to have more of the play before Sam Lavelle dived and headed a corner kick at the near post as it came in from the left after 52 minutes – and missed. Things were looking much brighter altogether for Derek Adams’ men until the 54th minute. Then, Liam Gibson inexplicably fouled danger-man Mullin as the ball was played beyond them both – and off he went. This was Morecambe’s third red card in four games and – like the other two – it was totally avoidable.
But with ten men, the team in red played better than they had with eleven. Letheren worked wonders to save from Hiram Boateng’s free-kick once Gibson was dismissed but his opposite number was busier from then on in for the rest of the game. Wildig picked-out Carlos with an inch-perfect free-kick from the Morecambe right after fifty-eight minutes only to see the ball go just over the bar from only eight yards out. Two minutes later, good work by John O’Sullivan on the Shrimps’ left saw him play the ball to Wildig in the penalty area. Aaron was just off-balance and his turn-come-shot was easily saved by Burton. On sixty-four minutes though, Wildig was fouled in the Cambridge area and the Ref had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Cole Stockton stepped-up to take the spot kick; Burton guessed where he was going to put it and pushed Cole’s weak effort away for a corner to his left. It was a golden opportunity completely squandered. But Morecambe – to their considerable credit – did not give up. Wildig picked-out Carlos again with a fantastic pass from his own half as the latter ran into the centre of the United penalty area after sixty-eight minutes. But Knoyle managed to get in a tremendous last-ditch tackle to deal with the danger and the chance was gone. Seventy-three minutes were on the clock when a throw from the Shrimps’ left flank was headed by Cole into the centre for Carlos to set-up Wildig for a shot which missed the target and you still had a feeling that this match wasn’t over. But that seemed to be that when Referee Rock took a long look at a challenge at the other end of the field by substitute Ryan Cooney on fellow-replacement Shilow Tracey in the eightieth minute. Only Mr Rock seemed to see this as a foul – even Tracey’s team-mates didn’t appeal. But from the resulting penalty, Morecambe’s former centre forward showed their new one how to take a spot-kick: he smashed the ball low to Letheren’s right into the bottom corner of the net with an unstoppable shot. But even then, the ten men pushed forward. The inconsistency of Referee Rock was shown again when he awarded a free kick to the visitors centrally on the edge of the Cambridge penalty area after 83 minutes. You could see the markings on the pitch but by the time Mr Rock had paced-out the distance and sprayed his shaving foam on the grass, United’s wall was no more than eight yards away. Despite this, it took an excellent save from the home custodian to keep the ball out of the net from this effort at the expense of a corner. Substitute Liam McAlinden headed this onwards only for fellow-sub Stephen Hendrie’s shot to be cleared. Derek Adams also sent-on Alex Denny after 86 minutes. Cambridge Skipper Greg Taylor immediately welcomed him to the fray with a bad tackle for which he was rightly booked. But Ben’s first touch resulted in a goal for the visitors. With just three minutes scheduled to play, the free-kick awarded for Taylor’s foul was cleared for a corner from the Morecambe right. Burton did brilliantly to parry the strike on goal which ensued but Denny was there to sweep the ball home and give the Shrimps at least a chance to pull the match out of the fire. They continued to chase the game as Cambridge played for time and seemed relieved simply to have survived – but the visitors had left it too late.
Morecambe threw the game away today. They struggled – and frankly looked outclassed at times – for the first third of the game. But after that, they gradually grew into it. You can’t have a man sent off and then miss a penalty as well against any team, let alone one as good as Cambridge undoubtedly are. In Mullin, they have a natural goalscorer. Hoolahan was imperious during the first half although he offered little after half time. Without these two men, United might not find life at the top as easy as it has been so far. On another day, a stronger Referee than David Rock might also have clamped-down on the Dark Arts which they don’t seem to be too reluctant to indulge in at times. What a shame – they clearly have enough about them not to stoop to this. But a win is a win is a win… The three points saw them go two points clear of their nearest rivals at the top of League Two, albeit having played a game more than anyone else in the top ten. Morecambe, meanwhile, slipped to the bottom. Of the Fair Play League. Oh dear. They remain in sixth place in the table which really matters, though.
If you want to read today’s digital programme, it is available – free – here:
https://issuu.com/hashtagdigitalmedia/docs/cufc_v_morecambe?fr=sNzI3NTE5NjExOTI
Cambridge United: 25 Callum Burton (Y); 2 Callum Knoyle; 15 Jubril Okedina; 5 Greg Taylor(C) (Y); 3 Jack Iredale; 4 Paul Digby (Y); 8 Liam O’Neil (18 Shilow Tracey 74’); 44 Hiram Boateng; 14 Wes Hoolahan (11 Harrison Dunk 94’); 10 Paul Mullin (7 Luke Hannant 86’); 20 Joe Ironside (Y).
Subs not used: 13 Kai McKenzie-Lyle; 6 Declan Drysdale; 16 Aji Alese; 19 Adam May.
Morecambe: 1 Kyle Letheren; 2 Kelvin Mellor (3 Stephen Hendrie 57’); 5 Sam Lavelle (C); 8 Toumani Diagouraga (20 Alex Denny 86’); 6 Harry Davis; 22 Liam Gibson (R); 9 Cole Stockton (19 Liam McAlinden 74’); 10 Aaron Wildig (Y); 11 Carlos Mendes-Gomes (Y) (23 Freddie Price 85’); 16 John O’Sullivan; 18 Ben Pringle (21 Ryan Cooney 57’).
Subs not used: 12 Mark Halstead; 4 Nathaniel Knight-Percival.
Ref: David Rock.