Match Report: Morecambe 1-2 Accrington Stanley
THE Shrimps suffered a fifth successive defeat as two goals from Shay McCartan extended Stanley’s unbeaten run to nine games.
Goals in each half from McCartan handed Stanley three points despite Aaron Wildig’s late goal which set up a tense finale.
That saw the Shrimps twice come close to an unlikely equaliser given Stanley’s dominance for much of the game. Jim Bentley had made two changes from the starting XI beaten at Plymouth Argyle last time out.
Luke Conlan and Paul Mullin dropped to the bench and were replaced by Dean Winnard and Kevin Ellison. However, it was Stanley who enjoyed the better start with some neat passing as well as speed on the break.
They came close to taking a fourth minute lead when Noor Husin beat Barry Roche from 20 yards, only for the ball to hit the upright.
McCartan twice had efforts at goal and Sean McConville was also a yard off target from just outside the area as Stanley were much the better side in the opening half.
The deadlock was broken just before half-time when a mistimed challenge from Ellison gave Stanley a free-kick 25 yards out and McCartan fired past Barry Roche.
The second came on 65 minutes after another defensive slip. Alex Whitmore failed to deal with a high ball, allowing McCartan to run through and finish clinically.
The second Stanley goal lifted the Shrimps and they went on to dominate the final stages.
Ellison had a shot turned behind by visiting keeper Marek Rodak before Wildig halved the deficit with a composed finish on 82 minutes.
Rodak was called into action to superbly turn behind Michael Rose’s effort and Mullin delayed a pass to the unmarked Ellison but that pressure was too little and much too late from the hosts’ perspective.
Morecambe: Roche, Duckworth, R Edwards, Whitmore, Winnard (Conlan 70), Murphy (Fleming 55), Rose, Molyneux (Mullin 55), Wildig, Ellison, Turner. Subs not used: Maher, Wakefield, McGowan, Jordan.
Accrington Stanley: Rodak, Rodgers, Hughes, Beckles, Pearson, Clark, Conneely (Donacien 72), Husin, McConville, Kee, McCartan. Subs not used: Chapman, Gornell, Boco, Hewitt, Shaw, J Edwards. Referee: Oliver Langford.