Carlisle United’s under-18s were narrowly beaten 1-0 against Morecambe on Tuesday afternoon at Sheepmount.
Tom Ellershaw’s second-half strike proved to be the difference as United lost their final home game of the season.
Mark Birch made four changes from Saturday’s win over Oldham Athletic, with Harry Moynan, Jason Blaylock, Jack Hodgson and Dan Hopper coming into the side.
A youthful Blues team started in positive fashion, with chances falling to both Reuben Towers and Hopper.
Kian Stuart came close to opening the scoring after he did brilliant to beat multiple Morecambe defenders, but his effort was deflected out for a corner.
In a rare first-half chance for the visitors, Ellershaw very nearly gave the Shrimps the lead against the run of play, but his finish was narrowly wide of goal.
HALF-TIME: Carlisle United 0-0 Morecambe
United were pushed onto the back foot by a resurgent Morecambe in the second period, Sam Worth made several top saves to keep the scoreline level.
Morecambe would take the lead in the 60th minute however, when their number nine, Ellershaw, finished cooly from close range.
It was Ellershaw at the centre of the action for much of the second-half, with multiple chances falling for him but Worth was on excellent form to deny him throughout.
The Blues pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages of the match but were unable to create any clear-cut chances in a tight outing at the Sheepmount.
FULL-TIME: Carlisle United 0-1 Morecambe
Teams:
Carlisle United: Worth, Moynan, Hatton, Blaylock, McDonough (Park 78’), Hodgson, Stuart (Harabasz 58’), Cumersky, Towers, Bell, Hopper (McNeil 58’)
Unused subs: Grainger
Morecambe: Tonge, Illingworth, Brooks, Goodyear, Mort (A. Robinson 37’), Murphy, Newall, Vilchez, Ellershaw, Dias, Agho
Unused subs: L. Robinson
Goals:
Carlisle United: N/A
Morecambe: (Ellershaw ‘60)
Yellow cards:
Carlisle United: (Towers 57’), (Bell 90’)
Morecambe: N/A
Red cards:
Carlisle United: N/A
Morecambe: N/A
