Match Report: Morecambe 4-1 Notts County
ON a day when Jim Bentley signed an extension to his contract the Shrimps produced a spirited performance to beat high spending Notts County.
Bentley saw his injury hit side pick up their second win of the season despite seeing Shaun Beeley and Laurence Wilson add their names to an increasing injury list.
Wilson was due to start but pulled up in the warm up to be replaced by Aaron McGowan who won the sponsors' man of the match award for his spirited display.
It was a frantic start at the Globe Arena with a makeshift Morecambe back four being put under early pressure.
Adam Campbell was in the thick of the action for the visitors, the diminutive winger twice bringing saves from Barry Roche and fizzing a cross across the face of goal.
There was action at the other end too with Aaron Wildig’s lob from 20 yards landing on the roof of the net to the relief of a scrambling Roy Carroll.
In an end-to-end contest it was the hosts who went in front on 20 minutes.
Alan Goodall was given time and space to shoot from 25 yards and fired an unstoppable drive beyond Carroll to give The Shrimps the lead.
County were inches from going level on the half hour but after a fine one-two on the edge of the area Jon Stead saw a left foot shot come back off the crossbar with Roche rooted to his spot.
The visitors were level five minutes before the interval however with the game’s second stunning goal.
The ball dropped to Genaro Snijders 20 yards out and his right-footed volley soared past Roche and into the net.
Having lost captain Beeley towards the end of the first period Bentley was also forced to replace Aaron Wildig at the break.
The battered and bruised Shrimps were on the back foot in the early part of the second half but grew into their revised three at the back system, Jamie Devitt slicing wide from just inside the area.
But it was County who were forcing the game, Stead hooking Campbell’s cross inches wide on the hour mark.
The Shrimps got their noses in front on 66 minutes with another excellent goal. This time a fine team move ended with Mullin driving across the face of the area from the left and curling a shot beyond Carroll.
The visitors immediately went in search of an equaliser Campbell blazing wide from 15 yards when he should have done better with Stead then bringing a save from Roche with a volley.
But Morecambe crucially got the game’s next goal, Alex Kenyon driving into the area and scoring through the legs of Carroll from a right angle two minutes from time.
Devitt then beat the offside trap with the 90 minutes almost up and had all the time in the world to finish past Carroll to cap a perfect day for Bentley, assistant Ken McKenna and the Shrimps' faithful.
Mullin nearly made it five in stoppage time but saw a shot from the edge of the area whistle over the crossbar.
Morecambe: Roche, Beeley (capt) (Kenyon 45), Dugdale, Parrish, McGowan, Goodall, Fleming, Barkhuizen (Molyneux 73), Wildig (Mullin 46), Devitt, Miller. Subs not used: Bondswell, Bailey, Ryan.
Booked: Devitt, Fleming
Notts County: Carroll (capt), Amevor, Audel (Valencic 85), Sprockel, Hollis, Snijders, Campbell (Jenner 77), Swerts, Burke, Stead, McLeod. Subs not used: Loach, Atkinson, Spencer, Edwards, Smith.
Booked: Amevor, Campbell, McLeod
Referee: Ross Joyce
Attendance: 1,621 (459 away)