Morecambe 0 Carlisle United 0: The idea of this being a pre-season friendly in literal terms was flaky throughout. Then, in the 84th minute, it vanished over the hills.
By that point, it was a pre-season unfriendly. A pre-season hostile. Having chased Jon Mellish for the ball, Morecambe sub Dylan Connolly was sent crashing into an advertising board behind the Carlisle goal.
Up he leapt with his eyes aflame. Connolly, his body and ego bruised, went for Mellish like a Friday night reveller who’s pint has been spilt once too often. As he shoved and they jostled, Jack Armer materialised from the right, a guard dog bounding towards the intruder.
Others got involved, pushing and arguing and, all in all, making a 0-0 draw with no points at stake rather more heated than you’d imagine.
And while we don’t normally want to see this sort of thing (truth: we secretly like watching this sort of thing), the angry little cameo told you something.
It said United, with a week to go, are on a war footing. They are ready to give, and take, and stand their ground. Last week in Largs was clearly not about strolls down the promenade and sundaes at Nardini’s.
It was taking the Blues into that further-bonded place where, if battles are there to be waged, it is best to be ready for them – and in some cases confront them before they’ve developed – as a unit.
“What they’re saying to me is they know this season’s going to be about the whole group together, and we have to stick together, and create the right environment so everybody feels part of it,” Paul Simpson said. “I think the week in Scotland has really helped us do that.”
Okay. Let’s not over-analyse a mini-scrap in the 84th minute at the Mazuma Stadium. Let’s, though, be satisfied United are in competitive shape. The football? Yeah. Not bad. Really, not bad at all.
Again – don't launch the #announcepromotion bandwagon on the basis of this. But Simpson’s new Carlisle, the first one he’s been able to steer through a pre-season since 2005, gave perhaps the clearest evidence of what they are going to be.
Against Derek Adams’ League One team, it was: one that presses, does so relentlessly and in unison, and makes that big space between the boxes a place where proactive, tactically aggressive football can take place.
Carlisle, be in no doubt, set the tone of this game. They did not score, and that is the obvious mark against them from Saturday’s 90 minutes – and yes, Morecambe had a few moments of their own.
But in terms of announcing the terms of proceedings, it was Simpson’s team, not Adams’s, who were most confident. After the uncertain, reactive efforts that got United into a pickle last season, it is refreshing to see them much more certain of their ways, their shape, their ability to dictate conditions.
They look, at this point, to have been Simpsoned. Coached. Structured. However high or low the potential of this squad is (and it does still need another body or two, at least), United will not fail through confusion or under-preparedness.
If the teamsheet filed on Saturday is replicated against Crawley next weekend, it also won’t be a surprise. Simpson still has a couple of either-ors, but one never had the sense he was flirting around the edges of things with his choices here.
Nor were United, who started sharpest, quickly began winning the ball in Morecambe’s half, punching out half-chances for Owen Moxon and Kristian Dennis.
Moxon has surely played his way onto next Saturday’s teamsheet. As well as his prominent role in United’s attacks, the midfielder’s corners – driven, rather than floated, through the air – were on point.
Carlisle were one clear moment and a lesser goalkeeper away from punishing Morecambe from them. Connor Ripley did well to deny Jon Mellish on one occasion, while Moxon himself rapped a shot against the resilient Liam Gibson.
United’s commitment to the press occasionally caught them too high, but only a couple of times did Morecambe threaten to profit. Ash Hunter got behind their line once, but found Tomas Holy many yards out of his box to get part of his giant frame onto the shot.
Again, proactive stuff. Upfield, Carlisle were good in ball-winning and retention – Callum Guy and Jordan Gibson captains of industry in midfield – and athletic at wing-back, where Fin Back and Jack Armer were always on their toes.
At times the final ball was short, at others only Morecambe’s last-ditch defending kept them out. Mellish was denied a penalty for handball, Gibson sent a knuckleball wide, and Guy then retreated to prevent Hunter setting up a team-mate on a dangerous break.
Morecambe introduced their prolific ex-United man Cole Stockton at half-time, but he seldom got the chance to impose himself. After a wobbly spell early in the second 45, United resumed their rumble. Crosses were sent in with more precision, via Armer, Back and Moxon.
One corner from the latter saw Tobi Sho-Silva, on for Ryan Edmondson, go close. Another gave Ben Barclay a decent volleyed chance which ended up out of the ground.
Being more ruthless at these moments is an obvious area to hit in the build-up to Crawley. Morecambe, indeed, might have punished Carlisle had Hunter’s aim been slightly truer from distance, and had Farrend Rawson finished better from a Hunter inswinger.
United, though, survived those scares, while the sight of Omari Patrick stretching his legs against defenders for the final 20 minutes was another welcome one.
After injury, he may need a little more time to get up to full venom. The lesson from this Simpson pre-season is that it’s unlikely to take very long.
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