A New Beginning!

The Start of a new year, sees a start with a new club. With Torrisholme still struggling at the bottom of Division 1 and the prospect of going to University in the summer, i needed to get back into the Premier Division, in preparation for University football. This is when Carnforth came calling.

After playing them 3 times last year when Torrisholme were struggling in the Premier Division. I was impressed with how the club plays their football and with this, we suffered heavy defeats against them. Last season they managed to finish 3rd in the Premier Division which shows their quality. However this year so far, they are down in 11th place after some disappointing defeats but they have a number of games in hand on the teams above them.

I made my first appearance this week for the reserves as the first team didn't have a game. A 5-0 victory against Boys Club Reserves helped me get back into the swing of things after the last few months have been affected badly by postponements. I played my part in the win as I scored one goal and made an assist in a convincing win.

My first game for the senior team will hopefully be this week, where Galgate will be the visitors to Quarry Park.

Here's a short article from the official website about my signing: http://www.carnforthrangersfc.co.uk/1stteam/club_news.pl?id=132164

Ashton Athletic 3-2 Morecambe

Morecambe went into this game as underdogs but came out of the game not knowing how they hadn't managed to win this game and progress into the next round. Despite going 2-0 down in the opening 20 minutes, Morecambe had most of the possession through out the game and showed grit and determination but just couldn't find the equaliser they desperately needed in the end.

Morecambe made two changes for this game with Liam Marshall replacing the unavailable Joe Shanley in goal and Dean Hughes back from suspension to replace Guy Gibson at centre back. From the kickoff, it looked as though it would be a one sided affair with Ashton quickly taking control in the middle of the park for the first ten minutes. Marshall was called into action on a few occasions , having to tip two efforts around the post. Morecambe's defence were also called in action with some frantic defending in the penalty area, having to make some last ditch blocks and tackles but the period of pressure finally paid off as they went in front.

A free kick on the left hand side of the penalty box was headed in over Marshall as Morecambe's marking was all over the place. This would prove to be a wake up call for the visitor's as Morecambe started to take control in the middle of the park whilst Ashton sat back and tried to play on the break. The Shrimps' started to create some chances but couldn't break through as the final ball was just not good enough. But out of nothing, Ashton extended their lead to 2-0. A Morecambe break was broken up and cleared up field by the centre back letting Ashton counter attack. The ball bounced up 30 yards out after Morecambe hadn't properly cleared, and was volleyed in over the stranded Marshall.

It was unexpected but it didn't stop Morecambe as they reduced the deficit straight away with Russell Moore bringing the Shrimps back into the game. Moore got the ball on the edge of the box and weaved his way through two weak challenges and managed to poke the ball past the keeper into the bottom right corner. The rest of the half was all Morecambe with Will Huntington ripping Ashton's right back to shreds and getting crosses in all the time which caused the hosts some real problems but the crosses weren't converted. The fast paced first half came to close with the score staying at 2-1 to Ashton but the second half would continue at this frantic pace.

The second half was just all Morecambe controlling everything. The visitors were winning every 50/50 tackle and looked like they wanted it more than Ashton and should have equalised in the first 10 minutes. Adam Bell headed a corner over the bar and Hughes volleying against the post as Ashton's defending was none existent from set-pieces. Sam Hallam then thought he had scored after hitting the sweetest of volley's from 6 yards out but somehow Ashton's keeper managed to tip it over the bar with a brilliant save.

However, once again Ashton scored out of nothing on the break to increase regain their two goal cushion. Another long kick up field bounced on the edge of the box and fell perfectly to Ashton's striker, whose unconvincing shot somehow sneaked into the corner. One which Marshall should have done better with. But just like before, Morecambe struck again straight away to bring them back into the game again. Moore and Huntington combined once again to weave their way through Ashton's defence, Moore then got tackled but the ball rolled across goal with the keeper in no man's land, and they were two Morecambe players waiting to score. Callum Crookes got their first to reduce the deficit.

Morecambe continued to press for the equaliser they needed but couldn't create any more clear chances like they had done before. The closest they came was when Huntington's cross was just too hard for substitute John Frizzle to reach. The game ended 3-2 to Ashton and would probably have been a huge sigh of relief for them as they knew that they had been in a game. Morecambe Will reflect on what might have been but performances like this are needed to be continued in the league if they want to do well.

Man of the Match - Dean Hughes - Brilliant on his return with some important last ditch tackles and he won everything in the air. However, everyone performed well and did not deserve to be on the losing side.

Bournemouth 0-1 Lincoln

In an uneventful affair, Lincoln City took the 3 points at Dean Court thanks to a Lenell John-Lewis first half strike. For a large period of the game, the ball was in the air and mainly a midfield battle, with both teams struggling to create any clear cut chances through out the game.

Bournemouth started well and struck first when Jeff Goulding converted a corner, but the Referee disallowed the goal for a push on centre back Janos Kovacs, which was the correct decision. Despite this, The first half was all Lincoln. Their 3-man centre midfield consisting of Frecklington, Kerr and Oakes dictated the play and marked Bournemouth's influential Captain, Darren Anderton out of the game. Bournemouth's strange formation with one winger also helped Lincoln's chances as this meant their fullbacks had lots of space to work in. This is where the eventful winning goal came from.

A long cross field ball from captain Scott Kerr evaded The Cherries' right back Lee Bradbury and fell straight into the path of onrushing left back Lee Beevers. He cut inside and played it to John-Lewis, who toe-nebbed it into the bottom left hand corner of Shwan Jalal's net. The keeper should have really kept it out.

The tempo of the game didn't change until half time, as Lincoln tried to capitalise on the missing winger and space for the full backs, but they couldn't extend their lead. Beevers went close but his shot went wide and Dany N'Guessan had a bad touch when he was clean through and really should have finished. This would be the closest they would get, as half time became a wake-up call for Jimmy Quinn's side.

It was literally a game of two halves as Bournemouth controlled the second half but couldn't penetrate the Imp's solid defence. Darren Anderton started to make room for himself and whipping in crosses into the box. This was the story of the second half as many long balls were put into the box but they caused Lincoln no trouble. Goulding's header was straight at keeper Burch and striker partner Brett Pitman's shot was blocked by Kovacs but this would be the closest the Cherries would come to finding an equaliser as Lincoln defended stoutly.

The visitors also had chances themselves but were restricted to long range efforts with Frecklington and Oakes on two occasions, shooting over. 5 Minutes of stoppage time couldn't help Jimmy Quinn's side finding an equaliser as the game finished 1-0 to Lincoln.
A huge win for Lincoln's promotion bid under boss Peter Jackson.

Morecambe Under 18's 6-2 Galgate Under 18's

Morecambe secured their first win of the season at the hands of Galgate. After last week's disappointing defeat to Charnock Richard in the Syndicate Trust Youth Cup, The shrimps needed to bounce back and big changes were made by manager Richard Gough. The formation changed to 4-3-3 with Guy Gibson, William Swan-Bell, John Frizzle, Lewis Hogg and Lawrence Cope coming into the starting line-up.

It wasn't all plain sailing for Morecambe as Galgate penned them in their own half for the first ten minutes. However Galgate didn't create much and only created one decent opening but Morecambe Keeper Joe Shanley, was up to the task making an excellent save. The deadlock was then broken 10 minutes later as Morecambe broke. A flick on by Russell Moore played in John Frizzle, who out paced the defence and finished with aplomb into the bottom corner. Morecambe then took control of the game having more of the possession with the passing particularly a joy to watch. Dan Jackson, Sam Hallam and Russell Moore won every ball in the midfield for the rest of the half but very few chances were created, so the Shrimps went in 1-0 up at halftime.

The second half started the same as the first with Galgate putting Morecambe under more pressure but once again it was Morecambe, who scored first again. An inswinging corner was met by Russell Moore's header which nestled in the bottom corner despite the best attempts of the Galgate keeper and the player on the line. The Shrimps concentration then suddenly switched off as Galgate's Nathan Winder pulled a goal back only a few minutes later when he skipped through two poor challenges and dispatched leaving Shanley with no chance.

Two more goals by Morecambe then killed off any hopes of a Galgate comeback as Morecambe once again took control. Moore scored his second with a smart finish from substitute William Huntington's pull back and then fellow substitute Daniel Murtagh scoring from long range, leaving the Keeper grasping thin air.

Winder then pulled another consolation back when he headed over Shanley but then got himself sent off for a second bookable offence after he kicked out at Huntington. Galgate had already started to tire and by now, Morecambe were dominant. Dan Jackson then slotted home with other players queuing up behind him to finish, and finally Swan-Bell scored after the Keeper spilled Dan Jackson's long range effort.

Torrisholme's start to the season

Seven games in and it looks like another hard season for Torrisholme FC. After major departures in preseason and the scrapping of the reserve team from the Football League, Torrisholme's squad looks rather different with a huge drop in numbers for players signing on. Currently sitting 12th with 2 points in Division 1 out of 14 teams, it looks worrying already.

It looked promising in the first game of the season against Grange as Torrisholme looked in cruise control for most of the game. Goals from Callum Crookes, Nick Dagger and a Rob O'Brien brace had looked to have given them the three points, but with the score at 4-2 and with ten minutes remaining, the curse of last season came back as Grange managed to draw level with 10 seconds left. The game ended 4-4 and the extra two points had somehow eluded Torrisholme.

Crushing defeats to Storey's Reserves and Marsh United Reserves followed as the top sides in the league showed their class by controlling the games in the middle of the park. Torrisholme battled hard through out each game but it was the curse of school boy errors frequently coming back to deny them. The second game against Storey's Reserves however, was much different. The introduction of Daniel Syson to the midfield, gave Torrisholme more heart and creativity. Unfortunately, a blatant penalty conceded by Crookes gave Storeys, a 2-1 victory.

Torrisholme then changed their formation to 3-4-3 for the next game away at College AFC but it still did not help Torrisholme play the way they did for most of the Grange game. It took them time to get a foot in the game but after falling 1-0 down from poorly defended corner, the midfield pairing of Daniel Syson and John Lee, took the game by the scruff of the neck and slowly started to dominate. Nick Dagger equalised with a tap-in but Torrisholme couldn't find the winner. Another point gained but another 2 points lost with College there for the taking.

As proved before, 2 more crushing defeats followed, against Bentham and Slyne. Bentham, my tip for the title, were in full control from the first whistle as Torrisholme couldn't handle their pace and swift passing. The game ended 4-1 but should have been a lot more.

Defensive errors have been a big issue all season and it looks like they will struggle to get rid of them as proved last season, meaning it could be another tough year for Torrisholme.

Morecambe Under 18's 0-0 Wyre Juniors FC

It was the first game of the season and everyone was looking forward to it. Confidence is high in Morecambe's side and it certainly proved in this encounter. However, it wasn't going to their day as Wyre proved to a difficult side to break down who came to get a point with a very defensive display.

Despite all the possession, Morecambe didn't really create any clear cut chances but did hit the bar twice. Most of the opportunities were from distance which were easily dealt with by the keeper, other chances were denied by Wyre's linesman who made dubious offside decisions when strikers John Frizzle and Russell Moore were played through.

When they did break through, they were denied by the woodwork. Will Huntington's corner was met with a bullet header by Adam Bell, which crashed against the top of the crossbar. It was to be the story of the match as the final third continued to be the problem. William Swan-Bell then hit the bar with a cross in the second half as Morecambe continued to press for a winner.

Wyre did have chances of their own however, Scott Gough managing to clear the danger on one occasion and goalkeeper Liam Marshall making a great save on another. Apart from that, Wyre didn't look threatening with Morecambe's defence looking comfortable.

Despite the draw, it was a very encouraging display by Morecambe. The defence looked solid through out and the midfield were in full control in the middle of the park. Dan Jackson and Sam Hallam particularly looking strong in the middle. The front line made some good runs in the first half but this then petered out in the second half. Their creativity was also a bit too central as, on a few occasions, chances were wasted while wingers were free with a lot of space.

Man of the Match: Adam Bell - His work rate was unquestionable, constantly running up and down the wing from left-back. Very comfortable at defending and always a threat in attack. Unlucky not to score with his header.

First home game of the season

Rotherham United cruised to the 3 points in the first home game of the season for Morecambe thanks to 3 excellent goals and a commanding performance by Pablo Mills in the centre of midfield. The Millers were full of confidence after their penalty shoot-out victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in midweek and this showed through out. On the other hand, The Shrimps lacked in most departments and resorted to the long ball which was easily coped with by the Yorkshire men's defence.

Ex-Manchester United graduate Mark Lynch opened the scoring on 8 minutes when he cut inside of left-back Danny Adams and curled an effort over Keeper Barry Roache into the top right hand corner. Adams was at fault as Lynch cutting inside could be clearly seen by everyone but he still managed to fall for it. The goal was deserved as the Miller's had totally controlled the game, with them using the space effectively as McIlroy played the strange formation of one winger and 3 centre midfielders once again. Lynch and winger Rueben Reid were the main culprits to take advantage of this as they caused havoc all afternoon.

The second goal for Rotherham came on 40 minutes and was a piece of class football with slick passing that once again sliced open the shrimps defence which had happened through out Morecambe's preseason matches. Pablo Mills started the move once again as he did in the first goal when he found Reid, he played it inside to Mark Hudson, who split the defence open with the simplest of passes and youngster Ryan Taylor had got on the wrong side of centre-back David Artell. He bent it round the despairing dive of Roache to put Rotherham in an even more comfortable position coming towards halftime.

McIlroy put Wayne Curtis on at halftime which gave the Shrimps a more balanced look. Both wingers for Morecambe, Curtis and Neil Wainwright caused problems all day for both fullbacks and this is where Morecambe's solitary goal came from on 77 minutes. Curtis' deep cross was not dealt with by Rotherham's defence and Wainwright turned the ball home at the back post. Morecambe's pressure continued but the Miller's weren't troubled as they searched for an equaliser in vain.

Their hopes were shattered in the last minute when Lynch scored a carbon copy of the first as once again he cut inside the poor Danny Adams far too easily to curl the ball home and to the visitors the 3 points.

I was impressed with Rotherham's performance especially Pablo Mills. Others that shined were Rueben Reid and Mark Lynch, and I'm sure if they perform like that they will be able to stay up despite their minus 17 points. If Mills can control games like today, he can give quality service for players like Reid to perform. However for Morecambe, poor performances by Adams and Parrish will need to be rectified by putting in solid fan favourites, Michael Howard and Adam Yates which would bring more attacking full-backs who are also very solid defensively. Matty Blinkhorn was also poor as he was outmuscled far too often and so O'Carrol deserves to come in. Michael Twiss and Craig Stanley aslo need to come in as they create opportunities. Twiss especially hasn't done anything wrong to not even be in the squad and he is still good enough if Sammy plays him in the right position.

A well earned 3 points for Rotherham.