Seven o-Clock K.O. at Carlisle – Did Anyone Tell Morecambe?
Morecambe travelled to their furthest northern EFL neighbour, Carlisle United, tonight in the hope of reversing a slide in their fortunes which has seen them slip from the pinnacle of League Two to eleventh position during the last two weeks. Derek Adams’ team have won two, lost two and drawn one of their last five league games. Chris Beech’s team, meanwhile, have drawn their last two EFL games but won the three before that to find themselves in seventh position prior to tonight’s match.
As far as his opposite number is concerned, Mr Beech said this beforehand:
“Derek has had them playing well so far and they’ve picked up some excellent results. He’s another good manager who knows how to get his team playing well but, as ever, it comes down to us. Last year I remember they scored early, Wildig’s volley, stuff like that out of nothing. We got back in it with Omari just before half time and we slogged it out, and I have no doubts it will be another tough match.”
In previous tussles in all competitions, United have won seven games, drawn seven and only lost three. Last time they met, Lewis Allesandra was in the Blues’ starting line-up for virtually the first time, having been the first Shrimps’ player judged by Derek Adams to be surplus to his future requirements. With him in the team, Carlisle clawed-back a two-goal deficit to draw at the end of the game. Tonight, Lewis played his former club again along with George Tanner, who DA made clear he did not want to be recalled by Manchester United from his squad last season. Meanwhile, Mr Adams was forced to shuffle his pack again due to a huge crop of injuries at the Mazuma Stadium.
It was another early kick-off in Cumbria’s County Town at seven o’clock. On a dry evening upon a perfectly-prepared pitch, Carlisle were one-nil up by just twenty-three seconds past seven. By four minutes past seven, they were winning by two goals. And by twenty past seven, they could easily have been four goals ahead. Right from kick-off, Lewis Allesandra drove forward and slung over a cross which was connected with by Yann Songo’o only to loop over Jake Turner’s head into the net for an own goal. Three minutes later, Josh Mellish walloped over another cross which seemed to be caught on the breeze to again loop over Turner, hit the far stick and bounce back into the net. From then on for the next twenty minutes or so, the men in the red shirts did a passable impression of the Shrimping fleet in Morecambe Bay: completely at sea. Meanwhile, the men in blue scorned chances to go even further ahead. Turner dived bravely at Callum Guy’s feet after six minutes after Joe Riley had stolen the ball and played him in for a clear run on goal. A minute later Allesandra had a half-chance but the visitors’ goalkeeper was again quicker to react and pick up the ball. It took the Shrimps about twenty-five minutes to settle down and actually start to play some football of their own. Once they did, they probably just about shaded the play. Whether this was because of their own dynamism or complacency by the hosts, however, is anybody’s guess. But right at the death, Skipper Sam Lavelle squandered the best chance of the half for the visitors when he headed Aaron Wildig’s free-kick from the Morecambe left wide of the near post having made a connection at the far one: it was a bad miss. Having said that, the hosts had further chances to extend their lead such as when Mellis shot weakly wide twice within two minutes with not much of the half left to play.
The second half started much as the first one had – with Carlisle in charge. The game deteriorated into a scrappy affair as it got older, with lots of head tennis and hopeful long balls by both sides. This clearly suited United but Morecambe looked toothless until Adam Phillips came on as a substitute after an hour or so. With fifteen minutes left, the newcomer forced his way by sheer determination through the Carlisle rearguard in the centre of the goal only to be denied by Paul Farman with his feet at point-blank range. Seventy-seven minutes had been played when Morecambe won a corner-kick on their left and Songo’o atoned .for his earlier error with a header into the same goal he had scored in earlier – but for the right team this time. Briefly, Morecambe looked as if they might rally. But sloppy defending allowed official Man of the Match George Tanner to run unchallenged at the visitors’ defence with only four minutes left, pick his spot and restore United’s lead with a low shot to Turner’s right. So that was it: three defeats in the last four league games for Derek Adams’ men. Tonight, they had lost the game almost before it had started and deserved nothing from it. The win pushed Carlisle up to fourth spot in League Two. Morecambe fell one place to be right in the middle of the table in twelfth place.
Before we go, though, let’s have another quick think about COVID and its effect on football in this country. I don’t think anyone would suggest that there is an easy way to deal with this problem. But there surely is a better one than that dictated by our government in London. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago Port Vale Chairman Carol Shanahan’s letter to Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston. She asked:
“We… are struggling to understand the logic which decrees that hundreds of people are able to sit together in an aeroplane for hours on end or eat and drink inside pubs and restaurants – but fans of football clubs are not allowed to be accommodated in the open air inside stadia declared safe by experts in socially-distanced bubbles while wearing face coverings. It would certainly be helpful if the science behind this decision could be shared with the football community.”
I still can’t find any evidence of a reply by Mr Huddleston. This is hardly surprising: there is neither any logic nor science underlying the decision our government has made. Since Morecambe were drawn against Jammy Dodgers Maldon &Tipton in the FA Cup First Round, the Football Association itself has made it plain that all eighty matches to be contested will be played behind closed doors. I’m sure I’m not alone in failing to see any logic or consistency in this decision.
I’ve seen a recording of The FA Cup qualifier last Saturday between Ilkeston Town and our old pals Hartlepool, who won six-nil. In the corner to the right of the screen, I saw what I would guess were at least a hundred people sitting next to each other in what I assume is the main stand at Ilkeston. No Social Distancing. Few if any face masks. Ditto at half time as the rain poured down and bedraggled people queued for pies and teas. I make no judgement about the science or legality of this – I don’t know enough about either.
Just over a week ago, I came across a football match being played at Quarry Park, less than half a mile from where I live.
Quarry Park is the home ground of the mighty Carnforth Rangers. I arrived at half time. Most spectators were in a queue for refreshments when I arrived. The players’ parents; girlfriends; sisters; brothers – whatever – were all there on the touchline once the game re-started though. This was a very minor league game. But there were more people watching than any EFL club would currently be allowed to let in. People could watch the match as long as they gave their contact details and used hand sanitizer. The place wasn’t exactly packed but there were quite a lot of people in the ground: far more than will be allowed to watch any of Morecambe’s games in any competition in the foreseeable future. We must remember, too, that Lancashire – where both Morecambe and Carnforth Rangers are based – is in the third tier of the so-called COVID lockdown at the moment.
So how does this work? I’ve no idea personally. To me – it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. I know I’m not alone in this. But if I know the first thing about anything at all, I predict that people won’t take any notice of rules which they don’t understand; don’t make any logical sense – or they see being flouted by members of the very government responsible for them without any consequences for them personally. So what’s the point of having any?
Answers on a postcard to Mr B Johnson please – with a copy to the FA….
Carlisle United: 21 Paul Farman; 2 George Tanner; 6 Aaron Hayden; 7 Joe Riley (Y) (19 Dean Furman 76’); 8 Callum Guy; 9 Lewis Allesandra (31 Micah Obiero 87’); 12 Josh Mellish; 13 Rod McDonald; 3 Nick Anderton (C); 14 Joshua Kayode; 20 Gime Touré (10 Gavin Reilly (Y) 72’).
Subs not used: 27 Marcus Dewhurst;13 Connor Malley; 4 Daniel Devine; 5 Max Hunt; 28 Lewis Bell.
Morecambe: 1 Jake Turner; 4 Nathaniel Knight-Percival; 2 Kelvin Mellor; 3 Stephen Hendrie; 5 Sam Lavelle (C); 8 Toumani Diagouraga (19 Liam McAlinden 83’); 7 Jordan Slew. 10 Aaron Wildig; 24 Yann Songo’o (Y); 16 John O’Sullivan (Y) (23 Freddie Price 77’); 11 Carlos Mendes-Gomes (20 Adam Phillips 58’).
Subs not used: 12 Mark Halstead; 18 Ben Pringle; 14 Alex Kenyon; 21 Ryan Cooney.
Ref: Ross Joyce.
