Shrimps hit back in style with away triumph

Carlisle United 0 Morecambe 2Two first half goals earned Morecambe an excellent win at Brunton Park.
Vadaine Oliver got Morecambe's second goalVadaine Oliver got Morecambe's second goal
Vadaine Oliver got Morecambe's second goal

A 13th-minute strike from A-Jay Leitch-Smith and a Vadaine Oliver header earned the Shrimps only a second win in 17 games against the Cumbrians as they bounced back from their defeat against Tranmere last week.

Morecambe started brightly and Leitch-Smith fired an early warning as his attempt to beat Carlisle goalkeeper Adam Collin at the near post fizzed into the side netting.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However he was on target in the 14th minute. His initial shot was blocked by the legs of Collin, but he was able to pounce on the loose ball to steer it home from close range

Carlisle hit back and thought they had levelled on 19 minutes when Ashley Nadesan’s header from Jerry Yates’ cross and they were then denied by a superb Barry Roche save from Richie Bennett’s close range effort.

Sam Lavelle then made a vital goalline block as Bennet looked sure to score.

But as the home side began to up the tempo the Shrimps added a second when Oliver, who had an excellent game up front, made it two goals from two games with a free header from Liam Mandeville’s right-wing corner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The goal gave the Shrimps a lift and they had chances to add a third with Leitch-Smith volleying straight at Collin when the ball bounced nicely for him in the box.

Roche was called into action five minutes after the break with a fine save from a Jack Sowerby effort before Bennett volleyed the rebound wildly over the bar.

Nadesan was next to test Roche but saw his effort from a tight angle saved.

Carlisle manager John Sheridan tried to change things from the bench with a triple substitution with just over 20 minutes left to play and teenage right winger Liam McCarron caused a few nervous moments.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But despite his best efforts the Shrimps defence remained solid and restricted the home side to long-range shots, with Yates curling one effort well wide and Kelvin Etuhu rifling another high and wide.

Morecambe always looked a threat, with Aaron Wildig almost breaking through in the closing stages but, at the other end, the Shrimps saw the game out well and took a deserved three points for their fourth win of the season.

Carlisle: Collin, Miller, Liddle, Parkes, Gillesphey (Glendon 67), Sowerby, Etuhu, Jones (Slater 68), Yates, Bennett (McCarron 68), Nadesan. Subs not used: Gray, Brown, Adewusi, Egan.

Morecambe: Roche, Mills, Yarney, Lavelle, Conlan, Tutte (Cranston 57), Wildig, Oates (Mendes-Gomes 75), Leitch-Smith (Oswell 82), Mandeville, Oliver. Subs not used: Halstead, Jagne, Piggott, Hedley.

Referee: S Stockbridge.

Attendance: 4,569.