A SOLITARY goal from Cambridge midfielder Jack Roles saw the Shrimps fall to a second successive defeat.
Derek Adams’s side had a huge stroke of bad luck as Roles' shot from the right hand side of the area took a wicked deflection off Steven Old to beat Mark Halstead who looked to have the effort covered.
It was another huge blow for the Shrimps who kept the home side at bay for the majority of the game without creating too many clear cut chances of their own.
Kevin Ellison did have the ball in the back of the net when he volleyed home Alex Kenyon’s cross home on the hour and Jordan Cranston had a golden chance in injury time only to shoot weakly at home keeper Callum Burton when he should have done better.
Adams made two changes to the side that lost to Oldham on Boxing Day with Cole Stockton ruled out through injury and A-Jay Leitch-Smith dropping to the bench with Ritchie Sutton coming back into the centre of defence and Lewis Alessandra starting up front.
The first half ended without a goal with defences very much on top.
Morecambe had the first effort of note with Ellison volleying over George Tanner’s far post cross before the home side enjoyed a period of dominance.
George Taft headed over a Roles corner before Marc Richards went close on two occasions. The veteran striker first saw a long range effort well saved by Mark Halstead low to his left hand side before the same player saw a shot from the angle cleared off the line by the recovering Tanner.
Morecambe began to cause the home side some problems after the half hour with Tanner trying his luck from 30 yards with a shot that curled wide of the left hand post.
The best chance for the Shrimps before the break came for Ellison who was teed up well by Carlos Mendes-Gomes only to flick his shot from close range over the bar.
Cambridge started the second half on the front foot with Roles giving them the advantage just before the hour.
The goal gave the home side a lift and they enjoyed another period on top. Richards saw a header cleared off the line by Kenyon and Paul Lewis headed inches over from another Roles corner before Morecambe staged a late rally.
Burton was forced to save at the second attempt after fumbling a right wing cross and both John O’Sullivan and Leitch-Smith saw shots well blocked by the home defence to deny the Shrimps a way back into the game as they searched for a leveller.
Morecambe: Halstead, Tanner, Old, Sutton, Conlan, Kenyon, Brewitt, (rep Wildig 74) Mendes-Gomes, O’Sullivan, Ellison (rep Cranston 68), Alessandra (rep Leitch-Smith 74). Subs not used:
Da Silva Mendes, Brownsword.
Cambridge: Burton, Darling, Taft, Taylor, Jones, Richards (rep Dunk 77), O’Neil (rep Lambe 56), Maris, Lewis, Roles (rep Knibbs 83), Smith, Subs not used: Mitov, Dallas, Dunk, Norville-Williams,, Worman.
Ref: W Finnie.
Att: 4.086