The first midweek action brought some enthralling encounters and the D3D4 correpondent’s were there to see them…check out their reports below:

MATCH REPORT: Morecambe 1-0 Northampton Town

Cobblers at the Globe? Yes and No… 

Morecambe have played Northampton Town fourteen times in the past. Their record against them is truly appalling; they have won only one of these matches. So far this season, the Dean Austin team which visited the Globe Arena tonight have lost one out of three league games. This was their first game of the season at home to Lincoln City where they went down by a single goal. Since then, they have drawn all the three other games they have been involved in (finally losing on penalties to Wycombe a week ago in the League Cup) but having scored five goals altogether; four of them in the League. That is four more goals then the Shrimps have netted in League Two so far. Yet – with the competition in its infancy, if Morecambe could manufacture a win against their southern rivals tonight, they would leap above them and almost certainly out of the relegation places at the very bottom of the EFL as well.

The Cobblers – playing in an all-yellow strip this evening – looked lively early doors. David Buchanan made progress down their left flank after five minutes and slung across a low cross which Barry Roche in the home goal got to before the on-rushing Sam Hoskins. Hoskins then fed team-mate Kevin van Veen a couple of minutes later but his shot from 25 yards missed the target. With nine minutes played, the hosts seemed to have had a decent shout for a penalty when Buchanan appeared to have brought down Liam Mandeville in the Town Penalty Area. But Referee Mark Heywood not only failed to give a spot-kick, he booked the Morecambe player for what he adjudged to be a dive.

Northampton struggled to clear a corner after twelve minutes but shortly afterwards, van Veet again tried his luck with another shot from distance – and missed once more. With Hoskins and van Veet constantly looking lively for the visitors, the ball found its way to A-Jay Leitch-Smith after twenty-six minutes down the other end of the pitch. Leon Barnett did well to get in a challenge which took the sting out of A-Jay’s attempted shot and the ball was relatively easily saved by David Cornell in the Town goal. His opposite number Big Baz was also forced into action after half an hour but managed to block Matt Crooks’ fierce strike which was then cleared by his fellow defenders.

Andy Fleming them came close for the Shrimps with 36 minutes played, forcing Cornell into a superb save to his right to deflect his header onto the bar and away for a corner. From this, the visiting defence was forced to collectively block another goal-bound effort; this time from Josef Yarney’s head. But the play swung to the opposite end of the field and Crooks wasted a decent chance from close range after being perfectly set-up by Dean Bowditch after forty minutes. In injury time, Cornell again earnt his corn with a good save from Jason Oswell which his defenders struggled then to clear. But the moment every Morecambe fan has been waiting for all season arrived during the second minute of first half injury time. Leitch-Smith latched onto a long pass from Fleming, outpaced the Cobblers’ defence and took the ball round their goalkeeper before scoring the Shrimps’ first goal in eight League Two games. Hallelujah!

The Shrimps carried on in the second period with the same momentum they had built-up during the first one. A-Jay came close again within a minute of the re-start with a shot which went just over the bar. Two minutes later, Cornell was forced into yet another smart save low to his left to keep out a long-range shot from Rhys Oates. Leith-Smith then forced yet another good save from Town’s goalkeeper after 58 minutes, forcing him to palm a half-volley away from the danger area. Oates then missed the target with another long-range effort after an hour. There were half-chances at both ends as well but Town seemed to be hoping that Kevin van Veen could change the match in their favour virtually single-handedly.

However, Shrimps’ supporters’ hearts  were in their mouths for the final ten minutes of tonight’s contest. Barry Roche ran out of his area and flattened Northampton substitute Junior Morais in the eighty-sixth minute. Referee Heywood duly sent the huge Irishman off. With all their substitutes used, Jim Bentley had no option other than to put Alex Kenton in goal. And Alex had to put in a performance during the dying moments and the surely excessive six minutes which the match official added-on at the end of the game. He saved from Crooks, then Morais himself and fellow substitute Daniel Powell as Town threw the Kitchen Sink at him. But the stand-in goalie and his teammates managed to weather the storm and the game ended with Morecambe’s first league win and league goal of the season.

Jim Bentley has said ever since the catastrophe at Crewe that his team have shown progressive improvements ever since. This is true. Tonight, they fully deserved to win and must be commended for their fighting spirit particularly when they went down to ten men. Funny Old Game, Football. Crewe lost 6-0 at Colchester tonight. Notts County are now bottom of the entire EFL. Who’d have thought it? The Shrimps are now in twentieth position; one place above tonight’s rivals. Well done Jim; well done the lads – particularly Alex Kenyon.

Morecambe : 1 Barry Roche (C); 2 Zak Mills; 3 Luke Conlan;  5 Steven Old (Y);  8 Andy Fleming; 14 Josef Yarney (Y); 15 Aaron Wildig (19 Carlos Mendes-Gomes 86 mins); 17 Liam Mandeville (Y); 18 Rhys Oates (11 Kevin Ellison 66 mins); 12 Jason Oswell (4 Alex Kenyon (Y) 74 mins); 28 A-Jay Leitch-Smith.

Subs not used: 21 Mark Halstead; 27 Jordan Cranston; 6 Andrew Tutte; 10 Lamine Jagne; 25 Ben Hedley.

Northampton Town:  1 David Cornell; 2 Shay Facey; 3 David Buchanan; 5 Leon Barnett (Y); 6 Ash Taylor (C);  7 Sam Hoskins; 8 Sam Foley (21 John-Joe O’Toole 84 mins); 22 Matt Crooks; 9 Andy Williams (14 Junior Morais 64 mins); 15 Dean Bowditch (Y) (11 Daniel Powell 64 mins); 10 Kevin van Veen.

Subs not used: 34 Lewis Ward; 4 Hakeem Odoffin; 18 Jordan Turnbull; 19 Jack Bridge.

Ref: Mark Heywood.

1594 (230 from Northampton)

words Roger Fitton, D3D4 Morecambe correspondent

MATCH REPORT: Carlisle United 2-1 Port Vale

In a fixture which has consistently provided entertainment and goals over the years, it was quite a thriller at Brunton Park in the warm summer air as Carlisle made it two wins in four days.

John Sheridan showed faith in the side that brought the Cumbrians a first victory of the season on the road at the weekend, by opting for an unchanged side, whilst counterpart Neil Aspin decided to make a trio of changes and former Carlisle man Luke Joyce kept his place at the heart of midfield.

It was the hosts who started as the brighter side, with Jerry Yates and Hallam Hope on the right and left flank respectively pushing the opposition wing backs back towards their own goal with thrusting runs. An early chance came when Kelvin Etuhu side-footed a shot from the edge of the penalty area which was deflected by a sliding defender onto the post for a corner. On that resulting corner, Tom Parkes was taken down and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Captain Danny Grainger stepped up and calmly dispatched the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net, giving his side a deserved lead and was off the mark for the campaign.

It was then when the visitors began to gain confidence. Striker pairing Rickey Miller and Tom Pope smelt blood when their midfield creators began to gain space, especially on the break. A flashed shot across goal just needed a connection for an equaliser and Joyce had two decent chances that flew high and wide respectively. An opportunity to extend Carlisle’s lead was handed to them by Connell Rowlinson as his naive back-pass in the corner fell straight to Ashley Nadesan near the six-yard box and the Fleetwood Town loanee did well to stay composed with his back to goalkeeper Scott Brown but ultimately fizzled the chance out with some indecisive play. The break was a welcome relief for both sides as they each needed to regroup.

A half-time substitution for Vale saw a switch of formation which lead to them pushing forward all second half and chances opened up immediately when a free-kick from the right fell straight to unmarked skipper Pope, but the talisman somehow headed over from close range on the dive – a real let-off for Carlisle who looked vulnerable. The away side peppered the home goal with corners and crosses and they simply could not cope with the power of Pope. Despite that, the defence held firm going into the latter stages of the affair. A blue substitute was influential too, as the calming presence of George Glendon kept the ball well in the middle of the park whenever his side were under the pressure. Nearing the final minutes of normal time, a shot from the brilliant-on-the-night Etuhu was tipped over by Brown and from the corner – another man who impressed during the game in Parkes – hammered a header home to double the advantage.

Soon after that confidence boost, Richie Bennett blazed a strike over instead of playing in another man which left Sheridan and assistant Tommy Wright seething with rage on the touchline. That miss would prove costly as Vale went forward and won a free-kick on the left on the penalty area, around 25 yards from goal. Wing back Luke Hannant (who was also superb on the night) was the lone man around the ball and with his right foot, curled it into the top left-hand corner with an excellent strike past a helpless Joe Fryer.

In added time, it was all Vale but the imperious and clearly jaded Anthony Gerrard won everything at the back to make it another dogged win for his ever-impressing Carlisle side.

Those two wins on the bounce for Carlisle move them into the play-off places and Vale still sit in the top half with plenty of encouragement in a contest they will feel like they should have got more from.

Attendance: 3688 (175)

Man of the Match: Kelvin Etuhu

Referee: Ben Toner

words Nathan Ridley, D3D4 Carlisle United correspondent

MATCH REPORTS: Yeovil Town 0-0 Oldham Athletic

It was far from a classic at Huish Park tonight, as chances were limited for both sides. It was no surprise that neither side walked away from the game with a goal and credit really does need to be given to the 262 travelling Oldham fans who made the 10 hour, 500 mile round trip.

Both sides went into the game on the back of convincing wins at the weekend but it took 17 minutes before the first chance came about when Jaiyseimi hit a shot towards goal. Christopher Missilou, however, was at hand to get in a block.

The first half was characterised by Yeovil dominance but the home side really didn’t make it count. It took another 13 minutes before another chance came to them – Arquin forced a smart save from Iversen following a well-placed freekick by Dickinson.

With few chances, the two sides walked in goalless at half time.

The introduction of Jose Baxter, much as it did at Forest Green Rovers, livened the game up with his neat flicks. In the 49th minute, Oldham had the best chance of the game when Dan Gardner made his way into the box and smashed his shot against the post.

Oldham looked the better of the sides for the first 15 minutes of the half but the game then returned to a slow moving and scrappy game, with neither side taking a grip of it. Yeovil’s best effort came from big centre back Omar Sowunmi who headed Dickinson’s free-kick just wide. The big defender should have done better but his effort summed up a night where neither side could muster much on goal.

The game played out with few other chances and ended goalless. A dreary affair in Somerset.

FULL TIME: Yeovil Town 0 – 0 Oldham Athletic

Attendance: 2904 (Away 262)

Yeovil Town line up:

Baxter, Dickinson, Warren, Sowunmi ©, Fisher, Jaiyesimi, Pattison, Arguin, D’Almeida (Gray 73’), McDonald (Green 62’), James

Oldham Athetic line up:

Iversen, Hunt, Clarke ©, Edmundson, Taylor, Branger-Engone, Gardner, Missilou, Nepomuceno (Lang 64’), O’Grady, Miller (Baxter 45’)

words Chris Stringer, D3D4 Oldham Athletic correspondent

MATCH REPORT: Oxford United 2-3 Accrington Stanley

Oxford United managed to score twice at the Kassam Stadium tonight yet still contrived to lose the game against an Accrington side that have kept the same spirit and attacking intent that brought the League Two title to Lancashire last season.

Karl Robinson made six changes to the side that performed so pathetically on the south coast at Portsmouth on Saturday as Cameron Norman, John Mousinho, Josh Ruffels, Gavin Whyte, James Henry and Jonathan Obika all started.

It looked good early on as Norman made some impressive head way down the right before putting in a cross for Obika to put just wide. Oxford continued to thrust forward and were in control of the game with both Marcus Browne and Gavin Whyte looking dangerous.

It was the Northern Irish winger who broke the deadlock on 27 minutes when he rifled an effort into the top corner to become the first Oxford United player to score for the Yellows this season.

It looked good at this stage with the United defence appearing more solid yet all the hard work in the first half would be undone just two minutes before the break. Obika appeared to be fouled before the ref awarded a free-kick to Stanley after Hanson committed a foul close to the touchline. From the resulting set piece the Oxford defence looked about as organised as Tory party election campaign, allowing big defender Ross Sykes to finish after the ball was allowed to travel passed the first man. Cameron Norman may have got the last touch but nevertheless it was level at the break.

HT: Oxford 1-1 Accrington

Oxford looked to come out on the front foot in the second half and again pushed their opponents back. Marcus Browne, Oxford’s best attacking threat all night, showed just what he is capable of when he ran at the Accrington defence before cutting inside to curl a beauty beyond Conor Ripley.

United were back in front and deserved the lead yet at no point this season have the Yellows been convincing at the back something which, in all honesty, goes back to last season. Sure enough the defensive curse would strike again as a long ball into the box made John Mousinho look about as comfortable as Theresa May trying to smile. The defender didn’t deal with it and Billy Kee thumped home the loose ball to make it 2-2.

The equaliser seemed to sap some of the confidence out of the home side and they were unable to find the rhythm that helped them take the lead twice in this one. Accrington, on the other hand, were growing into the game and when Josh Ruffels brought down the impressive Jordan Clark the ref was left with little choice but to award the spot kick. Up stepped Kee to complete the turn around and condemn Oxford to their fourth straight defeat of the season.

As impressive as Accrington were this was undoubtedly the best performance from Oxford this season. It was individual mistakes that cost them and Burton at home on Saturday suddenly feels like a massive game.

United do need to address their lack of options upfront before the loan window shuts and need the missing trio of Eastwood, Carruthers and Holmes back asap but the stats don’t lie. Four games played, four defeats, 13 conceded and no points on the board…big improvements needed.

words James Richards, D3D4 Football