Carlisle Eh 3 v 2 Morecambe
Brunton Park,  Tuesday 5 September 2018, Checkatrade Trophy. 7.45pm

Attendance 1213 with 117 away fans.

Shrimps – Halstead Sinclair Lavelle Yarney Cranston Fleming Jagne Mendes-Gomes Ellison c Oliver Piggott subs used Oswell for Oliver 69, Roche for Halstead 18, Wildig for Jagne 62.

Cumbrians Eh – Collin Miller Liddle c Parkes Devitt Glendon Gillhesphey Bennett Slater Yates Nadesan subs used McCarson for Nadesan 77.

Ref – Andy Haines, let the game flow when he could, sensible talking to players. Generally good.

Weather- Dry, cooler as autumn draws in, pitch was as you would expect excellent.

A much changed Shrimps side saw Lavelle return for his first game of the season, Sinclair make his first start and Jagne also appear. Gomes kept his place but played in a predominantly wide right role, which he did look far more comfortable in. Vadaine edged out Oswell to partner Piggott making his bow up front.
Carlisle played a strong eleven, with eight having appeared at the weekend. Shrimps Loanee Adam Campbell couldn’t feature.

In a bright start, Cranston broke well down the left and reached the byline, his cross being cleared in the second minute, but the game was open and free flowing.
The Shrimps opened their account after a lovely move, a Piggott shot was blocked, Ellisons follow up was saved by Collin but Oliver reacted first to head home from close range, 0-1 after 6 minutes.
Nadesan tried a speculative long range effort on 9 minutes but Halstead was down swiftly to smother.
A neat patient passing move resulted in Glendon volleying home the equaliser from 20 yards, Halstead hurting himself in the process of diving. 1-1 after 13 minutes.
Sinclair appeared fit and ready to impress and his pass released Mendes-Gomes on 16 minutes just inside the box but his shot was blocked.
A blow for the Shrimps as Halstead limped off to be replaced by Roche on 18 minutes.
Another swift attack again with Sinclair, Fleming, Jagne and Gomes releasing Oliver to pull back for Piggott to side foot home first time on 24  for 1-2.
Jagne was booked on 34, a little too enthusiastic in both body and tongue for Mr Haines liking.
Carlisle squared the proceedings with another spectacular long range effort from Gillhesphey, he won’t score a better goal in his life, it was past Baz before he saw it, so 2-2 after 38 minutes, and both sides playing some good stuff as half time arrived.
Gomes had a chance which he pulled wide with his left foot but generally the second half was still full of good intentions but didn’t quite match the intensity of the first. Gomes had another effort well saved by Collin and immediately Yates scuttled past two at the other end and shot from outside the box, with Baz unsighted it rocketed past him at the near post for 3-2 with 75 gone.
From then on it was all Morecambe, with Oswell having a shot saved from close range after a powerful Sinclair run and cross which could have gone anywhere but was hoofed to safety, then a minute later his powerful shot was put out for a corner. In injury time Oswell came closest yet as his powerful header was brilliantly tipped over by Collin. Baz came up for the corner and was whisker away from connecting, stayed up and even chipped through for Oswell, but it wasn’t to be.

It appears that we can score, the threat we carry is good, however more worrying is our away record is poor. Five games played 16 goals conceded, with five scored.
A lot of fans have voiced, me included, that they would rather lose having a go, and that’s certainly happening. It’s just the losing when playing well is already growing a wee bit stale.

A word about Carlisle, they scored three great goals, all from outside the box, which does show the value of shooting on sight.
However, Adam Collin in their goal had a busier night and was another who rose to the occasion. Typically!
Could we please scab something against Swindon, anything? Jammy deflection, penalty, keeper throws it into his own net??
Sinclair, Jagne and Cranston all did well on the night, Sam looked a little rusty, Vadaine grew in confidence after his goal and Piggott looks useful and can finish. So not a wasted night by any means, but it’s wins we need.
Freez