Reserve Team Match Report: Bradford City 2-1 Morecambe
THE Shrimps’ Reserves ended their league season with a narrow defeat at Bradford City's Apperley Bridge training ground.
First half goals from Kevin Toner and Ville Moilanen proved enough to secure the points for the Bantams in the Central League fixture, although Morecambe's Luke Gordon did halve his side's deficit after the break.
With the rain set in from the beginning of the match, City, who actually played Morecambe just a week earlier at the Shrimps' Globe Arena, began the game the stronger.
It was the visitors, however, who had the first clear sighting of goal when Paul Dawson headed against the base of Cracknell's near post from a corner.
Dawson also went close later in the half from another corner delivery by the visitors, this time the centre half heading narrowly wide with a glancing header.
City actually took the lead from a corner of their own seven minutes before the break when Toner swooped to power a downward header past Niall Maher from Penney's lofted set-piece delivery.
The Bantams could have netted again shortly afterwards, the ball deflecting off Tom Windle from close range before hitting the bar following Pybus' dangerous cross into the middle.
There was still time in the half for City to double their advantage though, with Pybus involved again.
With the opening period virtually completed, Pybus' centre was flicked on by Curtis Peters for Alex Laird to volley forwards.
The effort was partially blocked, with the ball dropping kindly into the path of Moilanen, who fired low past Maher from deep inside the box.
As the rain intensified after the interval, the second half started with the Shrimps’ Qarri Mergim firing just past the post after Gordon's cross into the box had landed at his feet.
Morecambe got themselves back in the game 20 minutes from the end when Gordon got the better of Sam Wright over by the far post to latch onto a Leif Davis cross and fire home from six yards out.
But despite their best efforts they could not find their way back into the game.
MORECAMBE: Maher, Webb, Davies, Brownsword., Dawson, Box, Jordan, Hedley, Hawley, Mergim, Nelligan. Subs: Armstrong, Dutton-Kay, Fairclough, Wright, Sanogo.