Shrimps go down at home
MORECAMBE suffered a third successive home defeat when they went down to a good Rochdale side at the Globe.
A Mark Hughes own goal and a fine strike from Scott Hogan gave Keith Hill’s side the three points although Morecambe ended the game on top after Padraig Amond had pulled a goal back two minutes from time.
Rochdale always looked the livelier side but were kept at bay until just after the hour when Hughes diverted a left wing cross past his own keeper from close range.
The visitors then added a second two minutes later when Hogan produced a fine piece of skill to weave his way past Andy Wright before curling a superb right foot effort past Roche.
The game started at a great pace with both sides firing efforts on goal in the first minute.
Alex Kenyon fizzed a shot over from the edge of the area in the opening seconds before Rochdale hit back with Scott Hogan testing Barry Roche with a long range right foot effort.
Chances were then at a premium with Rochdale the closest to breaking the deadlock with Graham Cummins drawing a save from Roche on 41 minutes with a close range shot from Ian Henderson’s pull back.
Rochdale had chances to extend their lead but when Amond added to his tally for the season the Shrimps went close with Sampson seeing a shot deflected wide and Ellison firing over with an acrobatic overhead kick.
MORECAMBE: Roche; Wright, Hughes, McCready, Diagne; Fleming (rep McGee 87), Williams (rep Amond 65), Kenyon; Marshall (rep Mwasile 72), Sampson, Ellison. Subs not used: Arestidou, Threlfall, Drummond, Doyle.
Booked: Sampson, McCready, Mwasile.
ROCHDALE: Lillis; Rafferty, Lancashire, Eastham, O’Connell, Rose; Tutte. Hogan, Lund; Cummins (rep Vincenti 86), Henderson. Subs not used: Thomson Hery, Done, Allen, Dicker, Bunney.
Att: 2,563.