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The two strikers combining straight from the kick-off when Cook tried to score from McDougall's tap away, his right-footed shot though going well wide of the target. The visitors looking for a handball claim on a blocked shot after four minutes in the Carlisle penalty area, only for the referee to wave play on.
Two minutes later after a loose Connor Tinnion pass, Blues goalkeeper Alex Mitchell was able to make an easy catch under his crossbar from a 25-yard right-footed chip in on his goal. Cook at the other end getting his head on a cross in from the right by Simon Lakeland with six minutes gone, his header though looped up off the shoulder of a Morecambe defender and into the arms of their goalkeeper.
Playing up the slope at Creighton, on a pretty dry pitch that started a little bit crusty but gradually thawed out nicely as the sun got higher in the sky, Carlisle pressed forward again on 11 minutes. Cook cutting in from the left to put in a low cross that was only part-cleared out to Shaun Law just beyond the 'D'. Law from there sending a right-footed half-volley wide of the Shrimps near-post.
Tinnion was playing in a bit of a free role in the first-half as he buzzed all around the front two and he was involved in the Cumbrians opening goal. The 15th minute seeing him cross in from the right to Cook who had his back to goal 12 yards out, the United frontman then taking the ball down nicely on his chest before turning quickly and smashing an unstoppable right-footed half-volley into the net at the Shrimps near-post.
Morecambe went close three minutes later though when Jamie Cleary slipped on the icy turf as his header went down the right-hand channel for a visitors striker. The Shrimp's powerful 15-yard right-footed shot being parried way out by Mitchell, the same player then hitting the loose ball on the volley weakly into the arms of the Blues goalkeeper.
After 20 minutes Tinnion sent a left-footed 20-yarder across goal and wide of the target from the right. The Morecambe goalkeeper picking that break in play to hobble from the pitch with a foot injury. The substitute stopper almost conceding ten minutes later when Tinnion, who had beaten the same two Morecambe defenders twice out on the left, crossed in for McDougall to slam the ball home from close range, sadly for United though the offside flag went up against McDougall.
Morecambe forced into another change on 34 minutes when their left-winger, who had already been treated twice on the sidelines, finally admitted defeat. A minute later a Shrimps cross in from that side seeing an attacking header from 12 yards go almost back from where it came as it went miles wide. United having a similar attack moments later, this time though Steven Swinglehurst's ball was headed straight up in the air for a goalkeeper catch by McDougall 15 yards out.
The keeper did make a mistake though after 37 minutes when he misjudged McDougall's low cross in from the right and allowed it to hit the base of the near-post, Tinnion then having to rush as he shinned the pacey rebound across goal as play carried on and Morecambe were able to clear their lines.
United though did make it 2-0 on 43 minutes, a Shrimps defender missing John Seaton's ball in from the right, that allowing Cook 18 yards out to take a quick touch before firing a right-footed drive low into the far bottom corner, the keeper though should perhaps have done better. Just before the break one of the Morecambe strikers firing a 20-yard left-footer over Mitchell's crossbar.
Carlisle though having the last chance of the first-half as the clock ticked into injury time, Liam Davison beating the offside trap to get on the end of Law's chip over a static Shrimps back-line. The keeper stood strong though one-on-one and he was able to make an excellent save to push Davison's right-footed shot from 12 yards out wide of his far-post, the resultant Tinnion corner coming to nothing.
Remarkably the first chance of the second-half came as late as 61 minutes in, Morecambe though perhaps having the better of the play in a period when neither side could get a passing game going as possession changed hands numerous times, the pitch starting to get a little bobbly as well as it thawed out and began to cut up.
That opening opportunity coming the way of the Cumbrians when McDougall set a ball back from the right-hand by-line to Cook 15 yards out, Cook then smacking a powerful right-footed shot from there which the Shrimps keeper did well to tip over the bar. Tinnion's corner in seeing Duffy, under pressure, volley narrowly wide of the near-post from close range.
With 69 minutes gone Seaton sent a long ball down the right-hand channel for McDougall, the Scot hitting in a right-footed chipped effort that hit the back of the near-post stanchion as it zipped inches wide. Tinnion two minutes later skinning the right-back again before whacking a ball across the six-yard box which sadly found no Carlisle player attacking it.
The Shrimps made their final change upfront after 73 minutes, then two minutes later McDougall chipped a pass into the visitors back-post that found Cook completely unmarked eight yards out. Unusually though the Blues top scorer dallied a little too long, his right-footed shot eventually being blocked out for a Tinnion corner which produced nothing for the Cumbrians.
Shortly afterwards another Tinnion corner came in to the far-post, this one seeing Cook head back across goal from eight yards out before the ball was eventually cleared by a Morecambe defender. Tinnion again involved in the 77th minute when he skipped past two challenges down the middle on his way to firing a 25-yard left-footer inches wide of the Shrimps near-post.
That break in play seeing Lakeland, hobbling on an ankle injury, be replaced by Mark Sloan, the 16-year old slotting into midfield as Seaton dropped into Lakeland's right-back spot. Carlisle made it 3-0 with ten minutes to go when Cook took a Law pass in on his chest down the right-hand channel before beating a defender and closing in on goal. His right-footed shot from ten yards out flying past the keeper as it zoomed into the far corner of the net.
That claiming of a fourth hat-trick of the season for Cook being his last action of the day as Ryan Bowman came on in his place, Mitchell making way for Mark Gillespie between the United sticks at the same time. That meaning, as someone pointed out to me if I am being honest, that the Blues finished the game with just three second-years on the pitch, those being Duffy, Seaton and Tinnion.
Gillespie was able to watch a long-range shot disappear over his crossbar in the 86th minute but as the clock ticked into the 90th minute he had to pick the ball out of his own net. A ball over the top seeing a Morecambe player get past a Cleary challenge before side-footing a 12-yard effort beyond a slightly static Gillespie.
So a tremendous fourteen wins and two draws in their last sixteen outings now for the United lads, this latest victory coming in a remarkable run of six league and cup games at home in a row. The next one of those being the big FA Youth Cup third round clash against Crewe Alexandra on Wednesday night in a 7pm kick-off at Brunton Park, before Rochdale follows in the league on Saturday.
United line-up :
Alex Mitchell (Mark Gillespie 83), Simon Lakeland (Mark Sloan 77), Steven Swinglehurst, Jamie Cleary, Matt Duffy (c), Shaun Law, John Seaton, Liam Davison, Andy Cook (Ryan Bowman 83), Chris McDougall, Connor Tinnion.
Unused substitute :
Tom Aldred.
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