Into the Gloom for Morecambe
Unusually, the EFL computer decided in its no doubt artificial intelligence-driven wisdom that Morecambe would face Fleetwood Town for the second time this season in League One just four weeks after they did so for the first time at Highbury. The Shrimps won there – with an injury time wonder goal from Cole Stockton which anyone who saw it will never forget.
As predicted on these pages, Town Manager of the time – Simon Grayson – was sacked within a week of this defeat for a club looking to return to the fourth tier of the EFL for the first time in seven years. Since he went, the Cod Army’s form has been very mixed. They drew against AFC Wimbledon away; beat fellow-strugglers Bolton three-nil at home – and – in their latest fixture – overcame Gillingham in a game which could prove pivotal at the end of the season.
(As a Morecambe fan, I just pray to the Football Gods that the Gills don‘t sack their manager. Steve Evans was booked on Saturday for a typical display of the sort of feral behaviour which we have all seen for decades from this particular gentleman. Perhaps more importantly, Gillingham is looking at relegation back to League Two in a pattern which has been repeated by the club from Kent for as long as anyone can remember. Given our own team’s current form, we need all the help we can get to avoid a similar fate…)
But back to Fleetwood: despite their upturn in form, they also lost 3-1 at Oxford and even more heavily to Accrington, where they were hammered 5-1. However, the win last Saturday saw them piggy-back today’s opponents to escape from the relegation positions for virtually the first time this season. So they started today’s game in nineteenth place in the table. Interim Manager Stephen Crainey had this to say before today’s game:
“Every game in this league is tough. I’ve been around League One for a couple of years now under different managers and you can see that there are no easy games. We’re expecting a tough game against Morecambe as they beat us not long ago at Highbury. They’ve got some strengths in their team – and so have we at the same time – but we are looking forward to it and we are hoping to come away with the three points. We need to prepare properly and do our due diligence for the game, they’ve got some top players and we need to try and combat that and, hopefully, put our stamp on the game at the other end of the pitch as well. We’ve got our blinkers on and are focusing on the game. The lads have been training really well and I thought the results were just around the corner and that’s proved to be the case. In the two games that we’ve won, I thought we deserved to win them. The results have warranted the lads to be out of the bottom four. I reiterated to the squad that we want to be looking up the table, rather than down, and that is what we are going to do moving forwards. It’s pleasing as their work ethic off the ball has been good and they have also shown some good quality on the ball as well. We’re looking forward to the game on Saturday against Morecambe and hopefully, we can back it up once again.”
The hosts were two places below them at the top of the relegation league prior to kick-off. Since King Cole scored his Wonder Goal at Highbury to win the game for the Shrimps right at the last moment last month, Morecambe have struggled in League One. Manager Stephen Robinson potentially made a rod for his own back by stating last week:
“We need to get six points from the next three games to be exactly where I thought we would be.” Given that his team immediately went on to lose at Portsmouth, he has created a situation where Shrimps must not only beat Fleetwood today but also win at Bolton next time out in order to keep on track. Robbo said about the opposition before the game that they:
“Had two very good results and a nice style of football as well, so we know what to expect, but we’re at home, we’ll try and take the game to them, we’ll come and press them, and try to stamp our authority on the game. We’ve shown we can beat them; we’ve shown we were very comfortable against them at times. They haven’t changed loads. We look at their style of play, it’s very, very similar to the previous manager; the same team as the previous manager; so there’s not going to be any surprises.”
As far as upcoming games over the Festive Season against Bolton and bottom of the table Crewe are concerned, he added:
“We’re playing the teams in and around us which gives us the chance to claw back some points (to) climb up the table. These are the games where we have to pick up points, and it’s a big game starting with Fleetwood on Saturday. We always knew these were going to be the big games that not make or break you, but have a real determination in where you are at the end of the season. We’ve played two very hard away games in Pompey and Sunderland, but we’re not being judged on them. I judge myself and judge the players, but overall, as a whole season, we won’t be judged on that.”
The day dawned foggy and cold in North Lancashire – and stayed like that. Given the ravages of the latest Covid viral mutation, the biggest threat to today’s match, however, was the spread of the infection which saw so many football and rugby matches postponed right across the British leagues today.
But – in defiance of viral clouds and actual ones – the game went ahead.
There’s not a lot to say about it for two reasons. First of all, not a lot happened. Secondly, it was difficult to see what actually did, particularly at the far end of the pitch. The fact that the visitors were clad in a black strip with red shorts didn’t really help as dark figures moved in the gloom in the same way that stupid, self-absorbed motorists without any lights on had all the way to the match. But the misty conditions did give the opportunity to use the awful play on words concerning Town’s nippy and tricky number 41. Yes, Cian Hayes was frequently to be seen emerging from the other sort of haze, often with the ball at his feet and usually to the discomfort of the home defence. With a bit more maturity and experience, here we have a potentially tremendous footballer.
Anyway, the hosts created the first proper opportunity of the game after just six minutes. Ryan Cooney slung over a tremendous cross and Adam Phillips headed the ball only just wide of Alex Cairns’ goal. The Shrimps probably just about shaded the first half but the visitors squandered the absolutely best chance of the first period. Paddy Lane (didn’t the Beatles once write a song about him?) played a peach of a ball into the space between the Morecambe goal and its defence which an unmarked Shayden Morris ran onto. Fortunately for the home team, Kyle Letheren also raced from his goal with purpose and pulled-off a truly tremendous save to keep the game goal-less.
In the second half, though, the home team’s Goal Machine Cole Stockton had both of the outstanding chances of that period. He headed a lovely cross from the right wide of the target when well placed just after the restart. Right at the end, he looked certain to bulge the back of the net when he worked a position for himself brilliantly just to the left of the target from his point of view. But Cairns – who probably still has nightmares about what this player did to him a month ago further down the Irish Sea coast – somehow or other managed to keep his effort out this time. Fleetwood had been the better team for most of the second period: playing the ball accurately and effectively at times as Morecambe constantly gave it away and frequently hoofed it aimlessly forwards time and time again. The withdrawal of the yet again largely ineffectual Phillips and Jonathan Obika – who is being nursed back to match fitness – with Aaron Wildig and Jonah Ayunga with about twenty minutes left changed the dynamic of the game entirely. For the first and only time in the contest, Morecambe were on top. They fashioned a few chances of which Stockton’s was the best but couldn’t take advantage of any of them.
So it ended goal-less. Stephen Crainey will be the happier of the two Managers tonight. Fleetwood found themselves two points better-off than Morecambe in seventeenth place in League One at the end of the contest. Shrewsbury beat Cheltenham 3-1, as well to increase their lead over the Shrimps to two points. So Stephen Robinson’s team will spend Xmas at the top of the relegation section of League One.
Morecambe: 1 Kyle Letheren; 2 Ryan McLaughlin (Y); 3 Greg Leigh; 4 Anthony O’Connor (C); 14 Jonathan Obika (17 Jonah Ayunga 54’); 9 Cole Stockton; 18 Adam Phillips (10 Aaron Wildig 75’); 19 Shane McLoughlin (Y); 21 Ryan Cooney; 22 Liam Gibson; 25 Alfie McCalmont (8 Toumani Diagouraga 63’).
Subs Not Used: 20 Jökull Andrésson; 6 Callum Jones; 16 Jacob Mensah; 20 Jay Matete (Y); 24 Arthur Gnahoua.
Fleetwood Town: 1 Alex Cairns; 3 Danny Andrew; 4 Conor McLaughlin; 5 Tom Clarke (C); 19 Gerard Garner ; 20 Jay Matete(Y); 22 Shayden Morris (34 Chris Conn-Clarke 72’); 27 Harrison Biggins (Y) (10 Callum Camps 80’); 32 Paddy Lane; 38 Carl Johnston; 41 Cian Hayes.
9 Callum Morton; 11 Anthony Pilkington; 14 Joe Garner;18 Harrison Holgate; 24 Daniel Batty; 26 Callum Johnson; 37
Subs Not Used: 13 Billy Crellin; 17 Ryan Edmondson; 28 Max Clark; 37 Dylan Boyle; 42 Tom Bird.
Ref: Christopher Pollock.
Att: 4,018 (559 from Fleetwood).
