LEAGUE TWO. SATURDAY, 7th OCTOBER 2023.

Ten men Morecambe win away from home. Again…

Morecambe made the long trek to Essex today to face Colchester United for the first time in almost three years. The Shrimps have lost only once against the U’s in the past and beaten them three times in ten previous meetings in League Two, including home and away victories in the season when they were promoted to League One.

United have struggled so far this campaign. They started the season bottom of the division for a while but began this afternoon’s game in twenty-first place in the table following a slight improvement in form.  Currently, they are on the back of two wins and two losses in their last five League Two games. The most recent of these was when they were beaten at Newport 2-1 after taking the lead last Tuesday night. Last Saturday, though, they pulled-off a surprise win against leaders Notts County with a 5-4 victory. There was trouble after this game, with accusations of racial abuse and an assault on one of Colchester’s players by visiting fans. But there had also been trouble on the field during this match. The U’s Cameron McGeehan was sent-off for two yellow cards; the second for dissent. On Tuesday, Arthur Read received a straight red for kicking-out at an opposition player. So United might possibly have a soft disciplinary underbelly as well as a fairly poor record with the ball so far.

But there again, the Referees might just have been clueless in these games. (I believe it can happen…)

Whatever, their Manager – Ben Garner – spoke about his reaction to the loss at Newport before expressing his hopes for today’s clash:

“I said everything I needed to say after the game. The players know I was disappointed with the overall level of performance and frustrated that we’re not picking-up points when we should be from these types of games.  I expect them to respond in a positive manner and want to continue the really good home form that we have had recently.”

As far as Morecambe specifically are concerned, he said, almost premonitorily (look it up – I had to…):

“They’re a good side. They’ve mixed it up in games; they’ve had some games where they’ve gone really high and pressed teams and almost gone man on man. (In) other games, they’ve sat a bit deeper. Whatever way they do it, they’re a fantastic team on transitions. They can play through the pitch really quickly, they’ve got good pace and energy at the top end of the pitch. If you switch off, or you don’t concentrate behind your attacks, they can really hurt you. Equally, they can pass the ball through the pitch well and they’re a threat on set-pieces – so they’re a good side.”  

In the week which saw his successor as Bradford City boss – Mark Hughes – sacked, Morecambe Manager Derek Adams has had a lot to say in the last couple of days. Having told the media that Jake Taylor will not be available for the next six weeks because of yet another injury, he said about Colchester:

“They’ve got a young squad (and) a manager that went in last season who has got experience in this division. We go there on good form; we’ve been unbeaten in three games (with) two wins and a draw. So we want to keep that going; get a win and move further up the table.”

King Derek rarely talks about the ownership issues off the field which have blighted his entire time at Morecambe Football Club. But at yesterday’s Press Conference, he suggested – slightly enigmatically – that he might be promoted by us mere mortals from the relatively humble Morecambe Monarch to the actual Morecambe Messiah in the near future.

Mr Adams announced what could turn out to be nothing less than a bombshell as far as our club is concerned:

“We know that there are interested parties that are still looking to buy it. There are other people as well from afar that are looking to have a project and to move an English Football Club further forward. We can only wait and see. It’s great that there is interest in it. And there is interest in it.  What they see is that there is a football club here that can be developed. A new stand can be developed across the far side. There’s a fan base that can go even further. When the new ownership comes in, they’ve got a blank canvas to work from. There’s a project in place to take this club from League Two to League One to the Championship. We’ve got to be positive and try and move the football club further forward. With the right people coming in; with the right investment in the right areas then we can see a really good future for Morecambe.”

Derek refused to put a time scale on these plans for a better future but hoped things could be resolved `within a six month period.’ He also confirmed that the potential new owners are `from abroad’ and have not been previously involved in any of the speculation which has previously surrounded the future of the club. Food for thought indeed…

In the present, Captain Donald Love returned to today’s line-up following suspension and Adam Mayor took Jake Taylor’s place in the starting eleven. Due to injury, Eli King was also missing from the squad today.

Morecambe turned-up late for the game but still managed to line-up for kick-off almost on time. The weather at the Colchester Community Stadium was quite warm for the time of year with a mixture of blue sky and white cloud up above.

Referee Sam Purkiss booked Adam Mayor for a fairly innocuous tackle on Jade Jay Mingi after just two minutes, leaving the young man on a knife’s edge for the remainder of the match.  He seemed to be fouled himself shortly afterwards in the home penalty area as the Shrimps pushed forward. United fans, though, loudly complained that he had dived. If they were right, he could have been on his way back to the Dressing Rooms for a very early bath…

As the visitors continued to ask all the questions, Jordan Slew then hit the post with a tremendous swerving shot with just five minutes played. Mr Purkiss than booked JJ McKiernan after only seven and a half minutes for another unremarkable foul on Mingi. Donald Love and Tom Bloxham then combined well to set-up Michael Mellon with a perfect cross which the young centre forward struck just wide of the post when well placed. It was Skipper Love’s turn to go into the book after a quarter of an hour. Yet again, the foul he had committed on Samson Tovide was neither reckless nor dangerous and you started to wonder if the Shrimps were going to end the game with an under-strength side away from home yet again this campaign. As things turned-out, they wouldn’t even get to half time with a full complement of players…

U’s goalkeeper Owen Goodman did well to leave his penalty area to head the ball and then clear it effectively as Mellon threatened with seventeen minutes on the clock. But he was helpless when – from a corner in the 21^st minute – a totally unmarked JJ powerfully headed the visitors ahead from Mayor’s pin-point dead ball kick. Shortly after this, the Morecambe bench was up in arms when Slew was pulled back by Zach Mitchell in a more obvious foul than Mr Purkiss had already penalised three Shrimps’ men so far. The Referee seemed to be about to allow Mitchell to get away with it but finally relented.

Mayor walloped the ball well over the bar after 23 minutes and then beat the home goalkeeper to the ball two minutes later but was unable to keep his shot on target. Slew warmed Goodman’s hands with a shot which the goalkeeper found too hot to handle after 27 minutes but his defence swept the loose ball away from the danger area. Joel Senior then set-up Mellon for another forward run but defender Mingi made a good tackle to stop him in his tracks.

Colchester than enjoyed their first chance after half an hour when Joseph Taylor was played-in by Noah Chilvers with a smart pass. But United’s leading scorer was denied by a superb save by Start Moore. Mr Purkiss then issued a red card to James Connolly with almost an hour left to play for a foul on Tovide. I can’t comment on that because I don’t know why the decision was made. But given the Referee’s performance so far, this was perhaps no surprise. But where was the consistency? – Tovide himself had made a bad tackle just minutes earlier but the Ref had chosen to keep his cards in his pockets on that occasion.

Despite having fewer players on the pitch, Morecambe forced the next decent chance as Mellon and Mayor were combining well only for United defender Mandela Egbo to make a good challenge to stop any further progress. Derek chose to shuffle his pack just before half time, replacing the impressive pair of Bloxham and Slew with a more defensive couple of players in the shape of Yann Songo’o and Farrend Rawson.

During injury time, Chilvers shot wide of the target for the hosts but Morecambe walked back to the Dressing Rooms as a good number of the home crowd booed their own players. The Shrimps were good value for their lead and probably puzzled about what the rules the Referee was actually implementing as far as they were concerned this afternoon.

Their puzzlement must has deepened within a few minutes of the re-start. Al-Amin Kazeem committed as bad a foul on JJ as anything the away team had been booked for during the first period. Once again though, the unpredictable man in the middle kept his cards in his pockets.

United had the first chance of the half and Moore again did well to deny Taylor after he had been found by Jayden Fevrier in the fiftieth minute. But Morecambe soon hit on the break and Mellon forced an excellent save from Goodman as he palmed-away a low shot at the cost of a corner kick. From this, JJ increased the Shrimps lead in the fifty-fourth minute. He was again unmarked as Adam slung over another dead ball kick and he was allowed to hammer the loose ball home as Goodman tried to punch the cross away and completely missed it. JJ scored again just eight minutes later, running all the way from the half way line to wallop the ball home from the edge of the penalty area in what was a simply phenomenal counter-attacking move.

Wow – ten men; three goals and JJ already on a hat-trick.

Colchester were at sixes and seven again almost straight from kick-off as Mayor was prominent in all of Morecambe’s counter-attacks. Fevrier then set-up substitute Bradley Ihionvien for a header which Moore again did well to keep out with sixty-nine minutes on the clock. The U’s player came closer still a couple of minutes later with a shot which smashed into the side-netting. Then Colchester finally reduced the arrears after 73 minutes when Cameron McGeehan headed Fevrier’s deep corner home from close range.

From kick-off, Shrimps’ substitute Ethan Walker’s first touch of the ball was an attempt on goal from the half way line which wasn’t very far away. Then United came close again when sub Chay Cooper struck the woodwork with a shot after 76 minutes.

Both Managers made further substitutions as the game grew older but the only outstanding chance for either side in ordinary time was when substitute Jacob Davenport forced an awkward but effective save from Goodman in the final minute.

However – presumably tiring of not being centre-stage for quite some time – Mr Purkiss chose to award a penalty to Colchester for hand-ball against replacement Yann Songo’o in injury time. It was another harsh decision as the ball seemed to strike Yann and not vice-versa. But Colchester’s Childers walloped a golden opportunity to score over the bar as he completely missed the target from the penalty spot.

So Morecambe’s excellent record against the U’s and their upturn in their own recent away form continued today. To win anywhere with only ten men is quite a feat. But to add two more goals when you’re a player down away from home says everything that needs to be said about the tremendous spirit in Derek Adams’ young squad. The victory pushed Morecambe up the table into tenth place. Colchester, meanwhile, stayed where they were previously: twenty-first. But they are only three points clear of the drop zone now, albeit with a game in hand – but this must be a real concern for the Essex club and its fans.

King Derek must have had mixed emotions at the end of the game. Winning is one thing and the way he responded tactically to the dismissal of James Connolly must give him cause for great personal satisfaction. But the performance of the Referee today must yet again give him pause for thought. Four of his players were booked and another is facing a three-match suspension after being sent off with a straight red. But this was not a feisty game and Colchester’s card count – just two – tends to confirm this. Derek was careful to avoid overt criticism of the officials post-match tonight. Instead, he chose to accentuate the positive – albeit quoting words from a character some of our younger fans might not immediately recognise:

“As the old Taggart used to say, “There was a `Murder’” (pronounced in a marked Glaswegian accent) today. There really had been a `Murder’ today. It was unbelievable in that first half: we murdered them. We put them to the sword. The performance was outstanding. The goals that JJ scored today; to get a hat-trick – were excellent. His third one was unbelievable. He’s found form; he has found a position which really suits him in the side.  Then – obviously – then there was the sending-off. I then had to make two substitutions: take Slew and Bloxham off; two of our best players. We passed them off the pitch after that as well. But we could have won by a lot more. It’s not easy coming here. But over the afternoon, it was a top performance by every single one of us.”

Colchester United: 1 Owen Goodman; 5 Connor Hall (C); 9 Samson Tovide (14 Tom Hopper 65’); 10 Noah Chilvers; 13 Cameron McGeehan; 15 Zach Mitchell (Y) (37 Chay Cooper 65’); 18 Mandela Egbo; 20 Jade Jay Mingi (48 Bradley Ihionvien (Y) 57’); 25 Joseph Taylor; 30 Al-Amin Kazeem (8 Mauro  Bandeira 82’); 42 Jayden Fevrier.

Substitutes not used: 12 Tom Smith; 2 William Greenidge; 21 Gene Kennedy.

Morecambe: 1 Stuart Moore; 2 Donald Love (C) (Y); 3 David Tutonda (Y); 4 Jacob Bedeau; 7 Tom Bloxham (6 Yann Songo’o 44’); 9 Michael Mellon (19 Ethan Walker 72’); 10 JJ McKiernan (Y) (17 Cammy Smith 87’); 11 Adam Mayor (Y) (16 Jacob Davenport 87’); 12 Joel Senior (Y); 14 Jordan Slew (5 Farrend Rawson 44’); 22 James Connolly (R).

Substitutes not used: 21 Adam Smith; 20 Charlie Brown.

Ref: Sam Purkiss.

Att: 3,350 (116 very happy Morecambe supporters.)