Shrimps bow out of Cup fighting
MORECAMBE’S hopes of reaching the third round of the FA Cup were dashed at the Ricoh Arena.
minute strike.thLeague 1 side Coventry proved too strong for Jim Bentley’s outfit who dominated the final stages of the game but could not add to Kevin Ellison’s 77
Gary McSheffrey fired the home side into the lead from the penalty spot on 38 minutes. Coventry took full advantage of a poor Morecambe corner to break sharply down the left hand side with Blair Adams playing in Carl Baker only for the former Morecambe player to be upended by Barry Roche for a clear penalty.
Adam Barton had a golden chance to make it 2-0 on 41 minutes but produced a poor finish from Baker’s clever lay off.
Baker did make it 2-0 just 15 seconds after the restart with a quality finish. The former Morecambe player cut in from the right and under no challenge was allowed to curl an effort past Roche from the edge of the box.
Coventry then enjoyed a period of dominance and thought they had a third when Roy O’Donovan slotted home the rebound after Roche had denied Franck Moussa but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The Shrimps produced their own moment of quality when Ellison curled a stunner past Dunn from the left hand side of the box and the Shrimps raised their game.
Dan Parkinson failed to make the most of a half chance when he chose to pass rather than shoot and Chris McCready saw a late header deflected just wide in the final minute.
Morecambe started the game brightly with Lewis Alessandra forcing Chris Dunn into a neat save after only five minutes with a curler from the edge of the area which the keeper saved low to his left.
Dunn was then forced to race from his goal to save at the feet of Alessandra and did well to hold on a Kevin Ellison cross that would have dipped under his crossbar.
At the other end the Sky Blues went close when McSheffrey missed the target from another swift counter attack on 28 minutes when he was
COVENTRY: Dunn: Christie (rep Clarke 86), Wood, Edjenguele, Adam; Baker, Barton, Jennings, Moussa; McSheffrey, O’Donovan. Subs not used: Burge, Clark, Cameron, McDonald, Fleck, Ball, Lobojit.
MORECAMBE: Roche; Wright, Fenton, McCready, Threlfall (rep Haining 88); Fleming, Drummond, McDonald (rep Reid 70); Alessandra, Redshaw (rep Parkinson 80), Ellison. Subs not used: Arestidou, McGee, Doyle, Parrish.
Ref: C Boyeson.