Morecambe 0-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Saturday, 26th Feb 2022 16:00 The Blues’ away game at Morecambe remains 0-0 at half-time with Town having dominated. Boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from Tuesday’s 0-0 home draw with Cheltenham with Tyreeq Bakinson, Sone Aluko, James Norwood and Macauley Bonne all starting. Bakinson came into the midfield for Tom Carroll, who was on the bench, alongside skipper Sam Morsy. Aluko and Norwood were to the right and left of Bonne, with the Nigerian international dropping deeper, with Conor Chaplin, Bersant Celina and Kayden Jackson also among the subs. Morecambe, with returning former manager Derek Adams back in charge for the first time, were unchanged from Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at Rotherham with former Blues midfielder Shane McLoughlin and ex-loanee Toumani Diagoraga both starting and one-time Blues winger Dylan Connolly on the bench. Following a minute’s silence for Morecambe life vice-president and former club secretary Ken Ormrod, who died this week, on a bumpy pitch of a type familiar to Sunday morning footballers, Town dominated the early stages. The Blues, wearing all blue on their first visit to the Mazuma Stadium with the 2001 FA Cup tie having been at Morecambe’s previous ground Christie Park, created their first chance in the ninth minute when Bakinson found Norwood at the far post but the striker shot over from a tight angle. As the game reached the 14th minute, the Blues surpassed the previous club record of 547 minutes without conceding a goal, Christian Walton having had a quiet afternoon. The Blues went close to going in front in the 18th minute when Aluko turned Janoi Donacien’s ball into the area wide to Wes Burns, whose cross fell to Aluko, who appeared to have a sight at goal before being closed down and his effort at goal was deflected weakly back to home keeper Trevor Carson. Seven minutes later, Morsy brought the ball forward before finding Aluko on the edge of the box, but the forward’s shot looped over off a defender. From the resultant corner, the ball was half-cleared to Aluko on the edge of the box and his low shot was diverted wide. His reaction suggested that it had been on its way into the net. The Blues weren’t far away again in the 28th minute when Morsy came very close to scoring his first goal for the club. The Town captain brought the ball forward before curling a shot which looked destined for the top corner until Carson palmed it away. The ball came out to Bonne but the striker was unable to direct his header the right side of the post, a chance it looked like he should have taken. Morecambe struck their first shot in the 32nd minute, ex-Blue McLoughlin curling a shot wide after a free-kick - harshly awarded against Bakinson - had been touched to him by Diagouraga. Two minutes later, Bonne will again feel he should have put Town in front when Bakinson chipped a ball to the far post from the right and the striker once more sent his header wide. The Blues continued to dominate, Burns overhitting a cross from the right in the 36th minute. Soon after, Bakinson brought the ball forward to the edge of the box before hitting a low strike which Carson superbly tipped past the post. In the 43rd minute, following a rare Morecambe attack, Aluko almost played in Norwood but a defender’s toe just managed to divert the ball back to Carson. Just prior to the fourth official’s board signalling one additional minute, a Dominic Thompson free-kick from the left flicked off Edmundson’s head and wide. There was a scare for Town in the dying moments when an Edmundson slip allowed Jonah Ayunga a run at goal but the centre-half got back to snuff out the danger. Aside from that late incident, the first half had been all Town with the possession percentage of 75-25 a reflection of the level of control. The Blues had had plenty of chances and really ought to have been in front with Aluko having a number of shots blocked, Morsy and Bakinson strikes saved and Bonne a couple of headers that he will feel he should have scored. At the other end, Town have now gone a new club record 578 minutes without conceding. Morecambe: Carson, Leigh, O'Connor (c), Bedeau, Diagouraga, Stockton, Ayunga, McLoughlin, Cooney, Fane, Bennett. Subs: Smith, Wildig, Connolly, Obika, Phillips, Gibson, Duffus. Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns, Morsy (c), Bakinson, Thompson, Aluko, Bonne, Norwood. Subs: Hladky, Burgess, Carroll, Celina, Chaplin, Jackson, Pigott. Referee: Matthew Donohue (Manchester).
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