MORECAMBE FOOTBALL CLUB

A penalty from Paddy Amond earned Morecambe a hard-fought draw against Carlisle United on a sunny afternoon at Brunton Park.

Amond converted the spot kick after substitute Paul Mullin looked to have been felled in the Carlisle area. Carlisle midfielder Brad Potts had earlier given his side the lead with a low shot from outside the box that skidded into the bottom corner of the Morecambe goal. 

Both teams had chances in the opening exchanges with Jack Redshaw narrowly failing to get on the end of a Jamie Devitt cross that flashed dangerously across the face of goal and Carlisle youngster Kyle Dempsey gliding past several defenders before blasting a shot at goal that was tipped round the post by Ward for a corner. 

Carlisle applied the pressure with a series of corners and a couple of clattering challenges on Shrimps’ debutant Danny Ward. Jack Redshaw was then booked for a dive after going to ground in the Carlisle penalty area. 

Brad Potts looked particularly threatening for Carlisle and had a couple of shots from outside the area that went wide as well as a couple of surges down the right hand side. While Morecambe had a shot blocked just before half-time after a great bit of pressure from Redshaw. 

The rest of the half passed without major incident and both teams went in at half-time with all to play for. 

The second half began at a higher tempo with both sides looking to take the game to each other. Carlisle took the lead in the 53rd minute with a shot from Potts outside the area which skidded into the bottom corner. Morecambe almost replied immediately with a shot from Wildig on the turn going narrowly wide from inside the box. 

The Cumbrians’ almost doubled their lead on 68 minutes after Hughes gave the ball away to Wyke who put Potts in on goal but the shot went over. At the other end Kenyon’s shot from long range was easily saved by Hanford. 

Paul Mullin entered the fray going into the last quarter of an hour as Jim Bentley looked to rally his team for an 

equaliser. The change bore fruit just minutes later as Mullin look to have been brought down in the area after being put through on goal. 

Paddy Amond stepped up to take the spot kick, sending Hanford the wrong way and slotting the ball into the corner. The Shrimps’ nearly took the lead soon after when Redshaw hit the bar with a shot from well outside the box. Carlisle were then denied a penalty of their own at the other end. 

Dempsey put a free kick over from outside the box in the closing stages after a foul by Fleming shortly before the fourth official signalled four added minutes. Carlisle then looked to up the pressure but Morecambe held on to gain a point that their manager and fans will be reasonably pleased with. 

Carlisle United: Hanford, Young, Archibald-Henville, Grainger, Brough, Potts (Kearns 84), Kennedy, Corry, Dempsey, Rigg (Paynter 67), Wyke (Asamoah 84). 

Subs: Spiegel, Buddle, Paynter, Kearns, Thirlwell, Asamoah, Griffith.

Morecambe: Ward, Hughes, Edwards, Parrish (Amond 59), Beeley, Wilson, Devitt (Mullin 74), Kenyon, Wildig (Fleming 66), Ellison, Redshaw.

Subs: Stewart, McGowan, Wright, Goodall, Fleming, Amond, Mullin. 

Attendance: 4343 (383 away fans).