FA Cup Failure for Southport at Morecambe.

It’s less than two weeks since Morecambe lost at Southport 2-1 in a National League North match which was at times bad–tempered and where there was a bit of nonsense between some of the players and a few of both staff at the end of the game. I am not privy to what this was about although reports of missiles having been thrown by elements of the home crowd might have had something to do with it.

Whatever, as far as the surely needless shenanigans after the match had finished was concerned, Morecambe Manager Adam Lakeland needs to set an example here – he knows that his team is going to be targeted as one of the favourites for promotion from the National League North and that other clubs will try and wind them up for that very reason. A week last Tuesday, Southport succeeded. Both Mr Lakeland and his squad need to have the nous – and the discipline – to not fall for this again; today in particular.

Moving quickly on, Morecambe’s run of three straight wins in the league which came to an abrupt halt at Haig Avenue got back on track again when they beat a weak but initially resilient Brackley Town 3-0 at the Halo stadium last Saturday. Port, meanwhile, lost tamely 2-0 at Worksop to slip to the edge of the Precipice of the National League North which – should they fall over it and stay there – means relegation at the end of the season.

In theory, then, Morecambe are the form team. But we all know that football doesn’t work like that and an FA Cup tie – and today’s was the Second Qualifying Round – is a one-off where league form is at best a marginal influence.

This is how Adam Lakeland expressed his expectations for the game in today’s programme notes:

“We (all) know the impact a good FA Cup run can have. It can create memories for players, staff and supporters, generate excitement around a football club and bring a community together. For clubs at our level, progressing through the competition can have a significant impact both on and off the pitch. Of course, we all understand that our main priority this season is the league. That hasn’t changed, but we also want to win as many games of football as we possibly can.We have an opportunity this afternoon to progress to the next round of a fantastic competition and hopefully take another step towards giving everyone associated with Morecambe Football Club – and the wider town – an FA Cup run to enjoy.

We know Southport will arrive wanting exactly the same thing, and our experience 10 days ago tells us everything we need to know about the challenge they will present. We’ll need to perform well, compete for everything and make the important moments count when they arrive. As always, your support can make a huge difference. Get behind the lads and hopefully we can continue our recent momentum and put our name into the hat for the next round.”

You can read a copy of today’s match programme here:

Morecambe and Southport have never met before in the FA Cup. The Southport website assures us that the clubs have met previously on more than 70 occasions in various other competitions. Some nerd there has taken the trouble to compile all the away results at Christie Park until 2007 (when Morecambe were promoted to League Two) in the form of a spreadsheet. Ready or not, here they are translated into Humanspeak – they will stir a few memories for some of us:

But how would the history books be re-written today?

The visitors have made two new signings since we last met. Forward Rhys Healey has arrived from Huddersfield and defender Brad Roscoe has been tempted away from Radcliffe. Healey was named on the bench today and made his debut later in the match.

The Shrimps started this afternoon without their usual Skipper Will Smith for what the Manager referred to obliquely as `an issue’, seemingly of a physical nature.

It was very windy in Morecambe today – not quite as stormy as it had been in Southport recently – but strong enough to make a difference to the trajectory of the ball throughout the game. It was fairly overcast with it but at least the rain held off throughout the contest.

The home side started quite brightly but Southport grew into the match as the half grew older. The quality of football was poor from both sides with too many loose passes and a lack of any discernible skill. Visiting goalkeeper Douglas Lukjancicks didn’t have a save to make and deserved Man of the Match Myles Boney was only troubled once, three minutes from time as a Dylan Dwyer effort was deflected – and it wasn’t a particularly difficult stop.

But Jordan Slew held the ball up really well for the visitors, constantly looked to slide-in his team-mates with probing passes played forward – and he was a handful at all set-pieces. He is exactly what Morecambe were lacking for most of the match as they constantly passed the ball sideways or backwards and I thought he was the outstanding player in the first half. He is completely wasted at a club like Southport.

The men in the turquoise away strip – with the exception of Mr Slew and probably a couple of others including fellow Morecambe Old Boy Dan Ogwuru – play pretty agricultural football. Matty Williams is a dirty so-and-so but his blonde tresses and angelic looks seemingly completely duped the hopeless referee all game. The Man in the Black missed all the crafty pushes; obstruction and fouls off the ball he constantly engaged in all the time he was on the pitch. I thought that youngster Ronnie Blois gave him a run for his money and a stronger official who understands the Dark Arts of football would have repeatedly penalised him. Southport Skipper – Sam Minihan (who must have had a massive paper round when he was younger because he looks much older than the 32 years that he actually is) on the other hand, looks like a bruiser. But wasn’t.

So the match ended all square and goal-less at half time. Too many players in a red strip had contributed little to the contest so far with Elliot Newby and Matty Daly particularly culpable.

The second half continued along the same dreary track. Southport had by far the Lion’s Share of the possession and won loads of corners. But the wind conspired with poor technique from the visitors – most of the time – to see the ball drift straight out of play. On the rare occasions that Port got them right, though, Boney came to the rescue with a succession of punches and saves which kept his team in the match. At the other end of the pitch, Morecambe’s first corner kick arrived in the ninetieth minute.

The game was crying-out for a single bit of quality. And in the fiftieth minute, it finally arrived. Jake Cain did what he does and planted a perfect free-kick onto the head of Paul Lewis, who made no mistake with his head to become – I believe – Morecambe’s leading scorer so far this season. Good for him. Who would have thought it?

I hoped that Morecambe would relax and take control after that. But they didn’t. Myles made a really good save from Ted Lavelle after 74 minutes and brilliantly kept-out New Boy Rhys Healey’s header in the eighty-second minute.

But more football finesse finally settled the game.

Isaac Buckley-Ricketts came on with just over ten minutes left to play. And was a class apart on the Morecambe left wing. He had already terrified the visiting defence with his feints; dummies and sheer speed of mind and body before finishing up with the decisive finish in the fourth minute of injury time.

The final score probably flattered the Shrimps at the end of a game where they were frequently on the back foot to a club struggling to retain their National League North status.

But a win is a win as they say and we now move forward to the next round of the competition.

This is how Manager Adam Lakeland summed-up his team’s fifth victory in their last six matches:

“Cup football is all about getting the result that you want so we’re delighted that we managed to win today and progress into the next round. I think that – given the way the game was like ten days ago – that today was always going to be a little bit… spicy, shall we say?

The game was very bitty; very scrappy. The ball was in the air a lot. But they were a handful. We’ve found a way to win a scrappy game.

We want to do as well as we can in every competition. We want to win games of football because it does become a habit. That’s now five in six but we’ve got to keep working hard to be better. Because I still feel that although our form at the moment is good, I still feel we’ve got so much improving to do.”

During the week leading up to the game, Southport Football Club issued an Official Statement on their website:

Given the number of police vans with their beacons flashing and sirens blaring I had to avoid in my Berlingo on the way home: all heading in the direction I had just come from, it would seem – very sadly – that at least some of them have failed to heed this warning.

Morecambe: 13 Myles Boney; 2 Cameron Coxe; 3 Ben Williams (22 Ruben Curley 66’); 4 Liam Hogan (C); 6 Lewis Baines; 7 Teddy Collis (14 Isaac Buckley-Ricketts 78’); 10 Matty Daly (8 Lewis Leigh 66’); 11 Elliot Newby; 17 Paul Lewis (Y); 19 Ronnie Blois (27 Adam Fairclough 43’); 20 Jake Cain.

Subs Not Used: 31 Alfie Scales; 9 Joe Garner; 26 Lennon Dobson.

Southport: 27 Douglas Lukjancicks; 2 Dan Pike (11 Malaki McKenzie 60’); 3 Dylan Dwyer (30 Rhys Healey 75’); 4 Ted Lavelle (Y); 5 Kyle Jameson (Y); 8 Luke Griffiths; 9 Jordan Slew (10 Sol Soloman 70’); 12 Matty Williams (6 Max Davies 60’); 18 Regan Griffiths (Y); 19 Daniel Ogwuru (26 Adam Moseley 54’); 22 Sam Minihan (C).

Subs Not Used:  7 Danny Lloyd; 7 Christy Edwards.

Att: 2,047 (333 from Southport.)