Morecambe 0 Stoke 0 – 9/8/22 7.45pm Carabao
Stoke were knocked out of the Carabao Cup 3-5 on penalties despite playing against only 10 men for a lot of the game. This is a minor disaster for Michael O’Neill who needs playing time for his players. They were easily frustrated by Morecambe, and when Morgan Fox missed Stoke’s first penalty the writing was on the wall. Here’s how the game unfolded in real time:
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It’s 6.40, and everyone is wondering how seriously Michael O’Neill (MON) is taking this game. My guess is he’s going to field all of Saturday’s subs…and it turns out he’s using 6 of the 7 (Bonham, Jagielka, Clucas, Campbell, Thompson, Gavin Kilkenny), with Wright-Phillips missing out again!!! (On the bench…again!!!) (What has he done to deserve this?!). Fox and Tom Sparrow get a recall, and Baker, Brown and Taylor keep their place. The subs are first-teamers, plus Eddy Jones and one David Okagbue…!! So is MON taking this seriously? Er, my guess is yes. The sun shines brightly on the teams playing in red & white and, er, red & white. (Stoke miss another chance to wear their white-stripe shirt, which may not get a showing this season!)
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0.00 Stoke’s strip is black shirts, red shorts, red socks with white tops. Looks like they put on the only bits of kit that were clean! Not a good look.
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11.45 Stoke fans enquire if this is a library, which clearly it can’t be as the government have closed most of them! (Controversial – Ed). Stoke win a corner and suddenly it does get noisy. Then Morecambe win two corners. Noisier still is the blinding sun right in Stoke’s eyes. The last corner is wasted so badly that Stoke fans request further explanation as to “what was that??”.
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29.30 As Jacob Brown is turfed off the ball.again, Stoke start putting on the pressure, with Morecambe hoping to catch them on the break. Standard fair, looks just like a friendly, to be honest…
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40.04 Stoke trying to play everything down their left, so poor old Tom Sparrow has hardly had a touch yet!!
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42.15 Bonham’s pass to Fox is short, but after deflecting the shot, he whines at Morgan before Jagielka tells him to shut it! Hm.
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45 +1 Sparrow gets a touch…and then it’s HT. 0-0.
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47.10 Tyrese finally brings out a save from the keeper Ripley, but it really is not who should be substituted, but who deserves to stay on.
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54.01 Stoke fans initiating a rapport with keeper Ripley, whom they unfairly reckon could lose a few pounds. He gives them a subtle wave.
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60.50 RED CARD!! yellow card for Jensen Weir…followed less than a minute later with another…and he’s off! Both for fouls on Jacob!! Thought Brown was going to be carded for falling on another player when tripped!
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66.01 Smallbone, Gayle and Wright-Phillips on for Tyrese, Brown and Baker. Meanwhile Morecambe’s manager is yellowed for complaining about the red card. Game getting heated.
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76.01 Gayle’s goal from 6 yards is ruled out for offside, so Laurent and Clarke come on for Sparrow and Kilkenny.
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88.01 Thompson hits the post, and then Smallbone shies wide! Stoke need to bury this. 8 minutes of time added!
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90 + 1 Clarke bursts through twice but his shots are blocked.
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90+9 It goes to penalties. How has it come to this??
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Connolly scores, keeper wrong way 0-1
Fox shies over badly 0-1
Obika scores 0-2
Smallbone scores 1-2
Watts scores 1-3
Clucas scores 2-3
Love scores, keeper wrong way 2-4
Thompson scores 3-4
McLoughlin….scores 3-5 and Stoke are out.
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