Better display from club's youngsters
Port Vale FC Youth 4
Morecambe FC Youth 1
MORECAMBE’S youngsters produced a much better performance but suffered defeat at Port Vale.
Morecambe began brightly and Danny Dunleavy’s first foray down the right after five minutes went through to Tom Woods who unfortunately miss-controlled the ball.
The Shrimps then suffered a setback when Port Vale took the lead through Luke Beesley who turned and placed his shot into the bottom corner of Will Kitchen’s goal.
Morecambe hit back with Damani Holness just failing to connect with Tom Woods’s cross at the far post and a speculative 40 yard drive from Jay Roberts forcing the home keeper into a spectacular finger-tip save. Morecambe were getting a foothold in the game with the high pressing strategy they had worked on during the week and with controlled possession it seemed it was only a matter of time before they were rewarded for their hard work and endeavours.
The pressure paid off after 53 minutes when Dan Dunleavy cut in from the right and his drilled shot found the net after a deflection.
The defining moment of the game came on the hour mark when Dunleavy forged his way into the penalty box to be felled in full flight only for the stone wall penalty to be waved away by the referee.
Undeterred the Shrimps’ youngsters continued to take the game to Port Vale and Woods went close on two occasions in quick succession.
The missed chances proved costly when Port Vale broke down the right and the accurate cross into the box was converted to give the home side an undeserved lead through Chekaine Steel to make it 2-1.
As Morecambe went in search of another equaliser a golden chance fell to Aaron McGowan, following an exchange of passes with Dunleavy on the right, but his shot went agonisingly over the bar.
The cruel side of the game came back to haunt Morecambe’s youngsters and after another period in the ascendancy Port Vale broke to score a third and then added a fourth in the final moments to give the home side an emphatic score-line that certainly didn’t reflect on the game.