With Jack Errington ruled out and rehabilitating after surgery we are down to only 4 available 2nd year scholars and all were left out of the match day squad for the Morecambe game.
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| Evan Galvin scored the winner |
Charlie Holt was placed into a unfamiliar central defensive role alongside captain Alex Whitmore. Of the three 1st year central midfielders it was Nathan Lowe that was moved out into a wider role and we had schoolboy representation in Brad Jackson and Christian Hill. In goal Callum Jakovlevs was preferred, with Conor Mitchell taking a place on the bench.
We started the game playing right to left on the bottom pitch and within the first 5 minutes we had landed the opening blow. We had a throw on the left wing and the Morecambe defence just didn’t switch on. Hill and Lowe had time and a cross was swung over onto the head of the unmarked Lewis Nuttall, for the easiest of finishes.
With such a good start we should have built on it but we didn’t kick on. We just seemed a little sluggish and our play lacked snap. Indeed when we lost possession outside our box and required foul means to win it back we were duly punished. The Morecambe 10 stepped up and drifted an effort directly from the free kick into the top corner of the net with Jakovlevs unable to reach.
Despite our overall poor level of ball retention we did create chances and it was Lowe that had a major hand in all of our good play. Firstly the midfielder curled over from distance, then fed Cameron Dummigan on the overlap, to allow the full back to drive into the near post, bringing a save from the keeper. Lowe also went on a mazy run and shot wide from the edge of the box when perhaps a pass off to an accompanying runner would have been a better choice. Despite the efforts we went into half time level on 1-1.
The 2nd half started much the same as the 1st had finished, with scrappy play and lack of chances. With the hour mark approaching though we finally pulled together as a team and began to find our own men with our passing game. Dummigan played the ball up the right into the feet of Nuttall, who laid it back to Lowe and spun off his man. Lowe clipped an inch perfect ball into the path of the charging Nuttall and the forward looked up, and picked out the onrushing Evan Galvin, allowing the young Irishman to sweep home at the far post.
With Morecambe tiring, and the impressive Lowe pulling the strings we should have probably turned the screw but it just didn’t happen for us. Luke Daly picked up a knock and was replaced by Jamie Frost, and Ntumba Massanka came on for our main goal threat in Nuttall.
We did have the ball in the net during the last 15 minutes but a linesman's flag saw a Galvin effort ruled out for offside, despite him being onside, when the flagman penalised Massanka.
It wasn’t the best performance, with sporadic flashes of the quality football I know we are capable of, but it gets us back to winning ways. Now onto the cup…
Team:- Callum Jakovlevs, Cameron Dummigan, Christian Hill, Charlie Holt, Alex Whitmore, Luke Daly (Jamie Frost), Kevin Ly, Brad Jackson, Nathan Lowe, Lewis Nuttall (Ntumba Massanka), Evan Galvin.
Subs not used:- Conor Mitchell, Waqas Azam, Andreas Bianga