TWO late goals saw Morecambe suffer defeat to Forest Green at the Globe Arena.

Goals from Jack Aitchison on 75 minutes and Liam Shepherd in injury time gave Mark Cooper’s side the points against a Morecambe side who were reduced to 10 men after Lewis Alessandra was sent off for two soft bookings.

Shrimps’ boss Jim Bentley named the same side that beat Colchester at the weekend and he saw his side start the better.

Alessandra nipped in to intercept Dom Bernard’s headed backpass, but Liam Kitching was on hand to clear the striker’s trickling shot off the line, with Joe Wollacott beaten.

With 19 minutes on the clock, Cole Stockton fired a dangerous half-volley wide of the far post as the Shrimps looked dangerous on the counter.

Despite having the greater share of possession Forest Green struggled to create any clear chances until the end of the half when Shephard created two chances in quick succession.

The first, a cross from the right which looked destined for Ebou Adams’ head, was well headed away before the ball made its way back out to the Welshman who’s second ball was even better.

This time it looked like the Adams, the Gambian international, was on hand to slot home, but Sam Lavelle slid in to poke the ball behind for a corner.

With Rovers on top in the latter stages of the half, Adams went close again with a header just over from Joseph Mills's corner.

The visitors dominated the ball for much of the second half and just before the hour mark, Matty Stevens went down in the box but referee Matt Donohue waved the penalty claims away.

Former Shrimps' ace Aaron Collins came off the bench on 64 minutes and saw a shot well blocked by Alex Kenyon before playing a part in the game’s opening goal.

Liam Kitching’s ball down the left found Mills, who played a clever one-two with Collins before cutting the ball back to Aitchison to score via a wicked deflection.

The Shrimps had a golden chance to level things up with five minutes to go, as a ball in from the left was half-cleared by Mills into the path of Steven Old, who fired over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box.

Morecambe’s night got worse with two minutes to play, as Lewis Alessandra was given his marching orders for a yellow-card challenge on Shephard having already been booked for a late tackle on Carl Winchester.

Shephard then put the game beyond all doubt as he latched on to Stevens’s lay off before firing past Roche from an acute angle.

Morecambe: Roche, Conlan, Kenyon (Miller 80), Old, O’Sullivan, Alessandra, Stockton, Ellison, Brewitt (Wildig 69), Lavelle, Tanner

Unused subs: Halstead, Sutton, Howard, Mendes-Gomes

Forest Green: Wollacott, Bernard, Rawson, Kitching, J Mills, Morton (Collins 64), Adams, Winchester, Shephard, Stevens, Frear (Aitchison 64)

Unused subs: Thomas, Mondal, Taylor, Allen, McCoulsky

Referee: Matthew Donohue

Attendance: 1,658 (63 away)