Carlisle United 3 Morecambe 1: Shrimps pay the price for a nightmare start

The Shrimps got off to the worst possible start and found themselves two goals down after just four minutes.

The game was just 29 seconds old when Carlisle took the lead.

Former Morecambe front man Lewis Alessandra broke down the right and put a cross into the danger area, which was diverted into his own net by the unfortunate Yann Songo’o.

Seconds later it was 2-0 as the home side had another touch of fortune.

Jon Mellish put in a cross from the right and was as shocked as everyone else when the ball curled into the top right-hand corner of Jake Turner’s goal.

The Carlisle pressure continued and they created two great chances in their next two moves.

Josh Kayode was free in the box but his first touch was poor, and then Turner had to do well to deny Alessandra who was running down on goal after breezing past a shell-shocked defence.

After an awful start, the Shrimps began to find their feet and enjoy some possession but all too often their final ball was poor.

They did produce one great chance, however, in injury time when Aaron Wildig’s free-kick found Sam Lavelle but the defender headed weakly wide from close range.

Carlisle started the second half brightly with former Morecambe loanee George Tanner forcing Turner into a neat save and Gime Toure clipping an effort over.

The home side almost added another fluke goal on 68 minutes when Nathaniel Knight-Percival deflected an Alessandra shot inches wide with Turner wrongfooted.

Shrimps’ sub Adam Phillips produced his side’s best chance of the half with a mazy run into the box that ended with a fine save from Paul Farman.

Morecambe finally found the net in the 79th minute when Songo’o headed home an inswinging Wildig corner to bring Derek Adams’ side back into the game.

All the good work was undone in the 87th minute when Tanner was allowed to run unchallenged to the edge of the Shrimps’ box before unleashing a fine strike past Turner.

Carlisle United: Farman, Tanner Hayden, McDonald, Anderton, Riley (Furman 87), Mellish, Guy, Kayode, Toure (Reilly 74), Alessandra (Obiero 88). Subs not used: Dewhurst, Devine, Hunt, Bell.

Morecambe: Turner, Mellor, Lavelle, Knight-Percival, Hendrie, Songo’o, Diagouraga (McAlinden 85), O’Sullivan (Price 79), Wildig, Mendes-Gomes (Phillips 60), Slew. Subs not used: Halstead, Kenyon, Cooney, Pringle.

Referee: Ross Joyce.

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