Shaun Miller and Jack Ryan both on the scoresheet as a young Morecambe side beat AFC Liverpool
NEW signings Shaun Miller and Jack Ryan were both on the scoresheet as a young Morecambe side beat AFC Liverpool to maintain their unbeaten pre season record.
The Shrimps started well but then came under pressure with Ryan Cox forcing a good save from Morecambe keeper Tony Thompson to push the ball around the post before Steve Jones fired a shot that just beat the post.
AFC Liverpool took the lead after 20 minutes. Connor Belger originally took a corner from the right, which found the head of a teammate, but this was deflected back towards Jones who returned the ball out wide to the advancing Belper who sent a superb curling ball from the edge of the 18-yard box beyond Thompson.
Francis Barry doubled the lead on 39 minutes in fine style. As Steve Williams was tackled, the ball broke to Barry, who sent a sublime chip over the keeper nestling perfectly in the top corner.
The Shrimps, the their credit, rallied quickly and pulled one back two minutes later, back through Ryan with a close range strike after being fed a weighted pass from the right flank. On the stroke of half-time Morecambe had the ball in the net again, but this time Shaun Miller was adjudged to be offside.
Ryan added his second goal in the 69th minute. Morecambe were awarded a free kick on the edge of the 18-yard box and as the ball was floated into the box the young loanee from Preston North End broke forward and placed a perfect diving header into the bottom right corner for the equaliser.
As the game progressed, Morecambe maintained a higher tempo and used their newfound advantage to take the lead with a series of attacks on the break.
Chris Doyle finished a neat move in the 71st minute beyond Reds keeper Ryan Jones, who had come on as a substitute. Just three minutes later, the Shrimps netted a fourth through Miller, who broke free of his marker and fired home around the keeper. Morecambe then capped their comeback with a fifth goal from Jack Kelleher five minutes from time.
Morecambe: Thompson, Masters, Livingstone, Webb, Doyle, Bailey, Miller, Hadley, Ryan, Kelleher, Bondswell. Subs: Povey, Dawson, Jenkinson, Homson-Smith, Tomlinson, Townsend.