Match Report: Portsmouth 1-1 Morecambe
MAN of the moment Lee Molyneux scored for the second game in succession to earn the Shrimps a superb point at Portsmouth.
Molynuex, who scored the only goal of the game in the victory over Grimsby on Saturday, struck again when seven minutes from time he got onto the end of a Kevin Ellison cross to shock the huge home crowd.
The draw means it is now just one defeat in 11 games for Jim Bentley’s side who are now looking ahead to their weekend derby against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.
The result was all the more impressive as the Shrimps had to come from a goal behind to get their point after Kal Naismith had fired the home side into a 64th minute lead.
Substitute Naismith scored with virtually his first touch when he received the ball and ran on goal before firing a low left foot shot past Barry Roche from the edge of the area to break the deadlock.
Portsmouth went close to a second moments later when Conor Chaplin drilled a low shot just wide from the edge of the box before Morecambe hit back to stun promotion chasing Pompey.
Christian Burgess did go close in injury time to giving the home side the three points but he was denied by an excellent block from Roche after a goalmouth scramble.
The first half ended goal less despite plenty of attacking intent from both side.
The first chance came on four minutes when former Shrimps’ star Carl Baker forced a good early save from Roche.
On five minutes PNE loan man Eoin Doyle looked to have a free run on goal but Alex Whitmore produced a last ditch tackle just as the striker looked set to pull the trigger.
The Shrimps hit back and Paul Mullin saw a shot cleared off the line but the effort would have been ruled out for a foul on home keeper David Forde.
Roche remained busy saving a shot from Gareth Evans with his feet before Pompey saw a penalty claim wave away when Enda Stephens went down in the box and went close again when Doyle headed over from close range.
Doyle then missed a golden chance just after the half hour when he headed wide from close range after being found superbly by Kyle Bennett’s cross.
But the Shrimps again hit back with their usual counter attack and Aaron Wildig was denied an opener on 31 minutes when played in by Paul Mullin but was foiled by a superb save from Forde.
The Shrimps ended the half strongly and created another good chance of the own when Rhys Turner found space in the box but could only head straight at Forde.
Morecambe started the second half strongly with Mullin firing wide when he should have played in Wildig and the same player fired weakly wide from a good opening on the hour.
Portsmouth’s first effort of note after the break came on 62 minutes when Doyle again failed to find the target from a Bennett cross before Naismith's opener.
Portsmouth: Forde, Evans, Burgess, Clarke, Stevens, Linganzi (rep Rose 79), Doyle, Baker (rep Chaplin 50), Roberts, Bennett (rep Naismith 63), Doyle. Subs not used: O’Brien, Whatmough, Lowe, Hunt.
Morecambe: Roche, Wakefield (rep McGowan 71), Edwards, Whitmore, Rose, Fleming (rep Murphy 79), Molyneux, Wildig, Turner (rep Conlan 50), Ellison, Mullin. Subs not used: Nizic, Duckworth, Evans, Jordan.
Ref: S Martin.
Att: 15,592