MORECAMBE suffered a second successive defeat when they went down 1-0 to walsall at the Globe Arena.

In the first ever Football League meeting between there two sides the Shrimps went down to a fourth minute goal from Walsall midfielder and despite their best efforts could not find a way back into the game.

The Shrimps made two changes after their 3-0 loss to fellow strugglers Scunthorpe with Adam Buxton and Kevin Ellison coming in for Ritchie Sutton and Jordan Cranston.

But it was Walsall who started on the front foot when with just 25 seconds on the clock 20 Caolan Lavery slid in to meet a Rory Gaffney cross, putting it just wide of the post.

And their fast start paid dividends in the fourth minute, when a Gaffney shot from the edge of the box was deflected but well saved by Barry Roche’s foot before midfielder Sinclair followed up the loose ball to put the Saddlers ahead.

The Saddlers continued their momentum and continued to go close to doubling the score. On the half-hour mark, Gaffney played in a low cross to the oncoming Kinsella who was just beaten to the ball by George Tanner.

John O’Sullivan was Morecambe’s best performer in the first half, and as the second 45 minutes got underway the tricky winger almost latched onto a through ball which would him through on goal.

But the first good chance of the half came to Rory Holden was found by Lavery as he pulled it back to the edge of the box. His shot was lashed over the bar.

Lavery almost got on the scoresheet himself only a minute later when he was played through on goal, but his shot was saved well by Roche.

Morecambe almost responded immediately, however, when Shaun Miller was adjudged to be offside after turning the ball into the net.

The Shrimps then began to put the pressure on and almost levelled when an Andrew Tutte corner dropped in the box from a corner but visiting keeper Liam Roberts managing to save at the foot of the Morecambe strikers looking to poke the ball home.

The Shrimps continued to push but failed to find they way through a resilient Walsall defence that kept its fourth clean sheet of the season.

Walsall: Roberts, Clarke, Scarr, Jules, Liddle, Sinclair, Kinsella, Guthrie, Holden (Sadler 84), Gaffney, Lavery (Gordon 74).

Subs not used: Rose, Norman, Bates, McDonald, Hardy.

Morecambe: Roche, Buxton, Old, Tutte, O'Sullivan, Alessandra, Ellison (Leitch-Smith 71), Wildig (Oates 83), Lavelle, Miller (Stockton 71), Tanner.

Subs not used: Halstead, Sutton, Cranston.

Attendance: 1616 overall (232 away)