MORECAMBE bowed out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle with a 4-1 defeat at Bloomfield Road.
Goals from Nathan Delfouneso, Armand Gnanduillet and Matty Virtue gave Blackpool a 3-0 lead before a goal from Cole Stockton just before the break gave the Shrimps, who had hit the woodwork twice through Stockton and Sam Lavelle, hope of a second half comeback.
Unfortunately those hopes were dashed as the Seasiders kept the Shrimps at bay and added a late fourth through Sullay Kaikai.
Morecambe’s caretaker bosses, Barry Roche and Kevin Ellison, named the same side that beat Leyton Orient 1-0 at the Globe Arena last week with the only changes being on the subs bench.
Hopes of a similar result were soon hit when Blackpool took a ninth minute lead through the scrappiest of goals.
Liam Feeney provided the threat down the right with a cross into the Morecambe area which Gnanduillet headed back across goal for Delfouneso to score with a looping header.
Morecambe played some decent football and they were desperately unlucky not to score a superb equaliser on 23 minutes when Sam Lavelle latched on to Lewis Alessandra's deep free kick only to see his fierce half volley crash off the underside of the crossbar with Oak Alnwick beaten.
That proved to be a telling moment as a minute later Morecambe fell further behind when Gnanduillet rose unmarked to head Kaikai’s corner into the left hand corner of the Shrimps’ goal.
Morecambe were denied by the woodwork for a second time on 43 minutes when Stockton struck the upright from 18 yards and once again it proved pivotal as Blackpool added another, moments later when Halstead pushed out Gnanduillet’s cross and Virtue tapped home.
The Shrimps gave themselves a lifeline seconds before the break when Alnwick spilled Tom Brewitt’s shot and Stockton converted the loose ball to give the visitors some hope at the break.
Unfortunately Blackpool stayed firm in the second period and also looked a threat going forward.
Kaikai got more into the game and twice fired wide of the target from good openings before he got his goal six minutes from time when he sneaked in behind Lavelle and produced a cool finish past Halstead to give the scoreline a flattering look.
Blackpool: Alnwick, Edwards, Heneghan, Husband, Feeney (repNuttall 79), Spearing, Virtue (rep Guy 61), Kaikai, Macdonald (repTurton 61), Delfouneso, Gnanduillet. Subs not used: Sims, Scannell, Thompson, Tilt.
Morecambe: Halstead, Tanner, Lavelle, Old, Conlan, Brewitt, Tutte (rep Leitch-Smith 46), O’Sullivan (rep Cranston 74), Wildig, Alessandra, Stockton (rep Miller 67). Subs not used: Roche, Sutton, Kenyon, Buxton.
Ref: Ross Joyce.
Attendance: 5,371.