Carlisle United 2, Morecambe 2

Nov 9 2009 The Journal

CARLISLE United allowed a two-goal lead to slip through their hands in a frustrating end to a frustrating game at Brunton Park, leaving manager Greg Abbott feeling less than pleased that his charges had failed to stick to the agreed game plan.

The Cumbrians manager admitted: “We’re still in the draw, but we haven’t done the things that we have talked about and I’m not happy about that.

“We’ve passed the ball square and it’s cost us a goal.

“We’ve lost the ball in midfield, and it’s cost us a goal.

“They are basic things that we have been talking about constantly, so that’s the most disappointing thing about the game.”

It started well for the home side when former Ireland internationals Graham Kavanagh and Ian Harte combined at a set-piece to grab a first-half lead, but it was never a classic as both sides struggled with possession.

Centre-half turned right-back Richard Keogh said: “We thought we would kick on after that first goal but it was one of those days where we had to keep grinding away to make things happen.

“To be fair to Morecambe, they kept coming at us, but we probably should have closed the game out.”

That was even more the case when former top-flight striker Vincent Pericard wheeled away in celebration to claim his second goal in just four games, at the start of a scrappy second half, to hand the hosts what should have been a comfortable two-goal cushion.

“Vincent is claiming the goal,” Abbott said, “and I won’t be arguing with him. Have you seen how big he is!”

Shrimps boss Sammy McIlroy gambled on a double substitution with 20 minutes left to play in the wake of an edge-of-the-box thunderbolt from Phil Jevons and the game shifted up a gear as Morecambe pressed for an equaliser. But Stewart Drummond was left to kick himself after kicking out at United debut boy Adam Clayton on 80 minutes, leaving referee Andy Haines with no choice but to produce a red card.

Abbott said: “He had to go. There may well have been stuff going on before it, but he flung a leg out and you just can’t do that.”

Carlisle appeared to be happy to sit back on their slender lead but a run from Keogh led to a swift counter-attack, and substitute Mark Duffy somehow squeezed a speculative effort through the hands of the full-length Lenny Pidgeley.

“I would probably have expected the keeper to save that,” Abbott explained, “but it was a greasy surface and it skipped up in front of him. I’m more concerned about the fact that we lost possession in a good area and then allowed the shot in the first place.”

With the clock ticking down United finally found some attacking momentum and Joe Anyinsah was unlucky not to win the tie with two powerful efforts that had visiting keeper Barry Roche fully tested.

“We’d have taken it if we’d scored at the end,” Abbott said, “but we haven’t played in the way that we can. We’re still in the competition, but we’ll have to look at why things went the way they did.

“It’s disappointing after the way we have played recently, but we remain unbeaten in three games – and the confidence is still there.”

CARLISLE UNITED: Pidgeley; Keogh, Livesey, Harte, Horwood, Hurst (Anyinsah 68), Kavanagh, Taiwo (Clayton 76), Robson, Pericard, Dobie. Subs (not used): Collin, Bridge-Wilkinson, Murphy, Offiong, Kane.

Goals: Harte 21, Pericard 55.

MORECAMBE: Roche; Parrish, Bentley, Adams (Duffy 71), Wainwright (Twiss 71), Wilson, Hunter, Drummond, Stanley, Jevons, Mullin (Craney 86). Subs (not used): Scott Davies, Moss, Curtis, McStay.

Sent Off: Drummond (79).

Booked: Wainwright, Wilson, Hunter.

Goals: Jevons 70, Duffy 85.

Attendance: 4,181.

Referee: Andy Haines (Tyne & Wear).