FA Youth Cup Match Report: Oldham Athletic 4-1 Morecambe
MORECAMBE youth team bowed out of the second round of the FA Youth Cup when they lost 4-1 at Oldham tonight.
Two goals in a minute helped settle the nerves as Brad Kay and Rio Murray put Tony Philliskirk’s side in control.
Murray added his second of the game on 31 minutes before Morecambe pulled a goal back through Morgan Homson-Smith.
Five minutes before the break, Jamie Stott’s powerful headed made it 4-1 and it is Latics that advance to the third round of the competition to face AFC Bournemouth.
Morecambe started the game well and almost took a second minute lead when striker Morgan Homson-Smith ran through on goal but was denied by goalkeeper Chris Renshaw.
Homson-Smith continued to look sharp and tested Renshaw again from a well taken free kick.
The good start came to an abrupt end on 11 minutes as Brad Kay headed Tony Philliskirk’s men in front.
A pinpoint cross from Lee Knight found the head of the tall striker and he looped it over the goalkeeper’s head to give Latics the lead.
One quickly became two as Knight was again the instigator, as his perfectly-weighted through ball found the onrushing Murray to finish confidently from 12 yards.
It was almost three before 20 minutes after great play on the wing by Rory Middleton; he crossed for Murray but he tipped it wide of the goal.
Midway through the first half, Chinedu Uche fired over the crossbar before on the half hour mark, Murray made it 3-0 to Latics.
A corner into the box caused a scramble in the Morecambe area and Murray forced the ball over the line for his second of the night.
The Shrimps pulled a goal back three minutes later through the lively Homson-Smith. He finished into an open net after Luke Jordan’s cross.
It didn’t take long for Latics to restore their three goal advantage as Stott’s powerful header made it 4-1.
Murray had just been denied by a smart save from the goalkeeper, but from the resulting corner, Stott rose highest to head home.
It could have been five before the break but Uche’s header from eight yards rebounded off the crossbar.
Morecambe looked to reduce the deficit and Renshaw was forced into action on the hour mark as he tipped a Luke Jordan shot wide of the post after the winger advanced into the penalty area.
With 65 minutes on the clock, the young Latics almost made it five as Middleton’s inswinging corner had to be cleared off the line by a Morecambe defender and Middleton went close again when he struck the crossbar as Latics went in search of their fifth of the night.
Oldham Athletic: Renshaw, Lent, Fallon, King, Stott, Middleton, Knight, Hargreaves (Healey 73’), Murray, Kay (Antoine 76’), Uche (Brown 82’).
Subs not used: O’Neill, Murphy.
Morecambe: Maher, Docherty, Williams, Webb, Dawson (Townsend 53’), Cowley (Livingstone 73’), Yawson, Hedley, Homson-Smith, Gibbons, Jordan.
Subs not used: Povey, Tomlinson, Masters.