Match Report - Morecambe vs Liverpool XI, 1st August 2015
Paul Mullin maintained his excellent pre season form with both Morecambe goals in a competitive draw against his former club Liverpool.
Mullin, who was a junior with Liverpool; took his friendly tally to seven goals as he maintained the type of form that saw him come to the fore in the last pre season campaign.
All the goals came in the second half, Mullin scoring twice in two minutes, the second a penalty, before Samed Yesil missed a spot kick for Liverpool.
The visitors did then reduce the arrears through a stunner from Madger Gomes seconds after coming on before another replacement Jerome Sinclair levelled things up.
Morecambe started well and had the first real chance on 10 minutes, Kevin Ellison firing narrowly over with his right foot after being found by Jamie Devitt’s fine ball over the top.
Liverpool then tested Barry Roche for the first time with The Shrimps' number one beating away a Sergi Canos shot.
Garstang’s Adam Phillips was bright for the young Reds side, bending a free-kick wide on 21 minutes before being at the heart of neat move that ended with Yesil firing across goal and wide.
For The Shrimps, Mullin was inches from converting a Shaun Beeley cross and then saw his shot from the edge of the area after a neat turn go narrowly wide.
Mulin then turned provider for Devitt who flicked an effort with the outside of his right foot just over the bar.
The hosts were having the better of the chances against a Liverpool side content to sit in, Laurence Wilson stinging the palms of Firth with a fierce shot from distance 10 minutes before the break.
Morecambe were improving as the half went on after a lacklustre start and nearly went into the break in front, Liverpool scrambling clear a Mullin cross as Andy Fleming and Ellison went close before Firth tipped over a curling Fleming effort from 25 yards.
The game then came to life in a few mad minutes early in the second half.
Mullin opened the scoring on 49 minutes, converting from close range after Fleming had nodded down Ellison’s cross.
He then doubled his tally 60 seconds later, sending Firth the wrong way from the spot after the Liverpool ‘keeper had raced from his goal and brought down The Shrimps' front man.
The visitors had a golden chance to get back into things on 52 minutes but Yesil’s spot kick was saved by Roche low to his right after Beeley had hauled down the impressive Harry Wilson.
Liverpool did reduce the arrears shortly before the hour mark though through a fine strike from Gomes, the Spaniard firing in a shot from 25 yards that flew into the top corner. The Premier League youngsters were level on 73 minutes, former Wigan loanee Sinclair finishing well past Roche after Morecambe had failed to clear a Canos cross.
With trialist striker Shaun Miller given a second-half run out, Andy Parrish came the closest to a winner, The Shrimps defender seeing a header from a corner skim the top of the bar.
For the visitors, Roche got down well to help Wilson’s shot round the post with time almost up.
Morecambe: Roche, Beeley, Parrish, Edwards, Wilson (McGowan 65), Murphy (capt) (Goodall 65), Wildig (Kenyon 78), Fleming, Devitt, Mullin (Miller 65), Ellison (Molyneux 65). Subs not used: Thompson.
Liverpool: Firth, Whelan, Hart, Paez (Sinclair 57), Brewitt, Randall (capt), Canos (Polgar 80), Phillips (Marsh 80), Yesil, O’Hanlon (Gomes 57), Wilson. Subs not used: Wheeler.
Referee: Graham Salisbury
Crowd: 1,794 (398 away)