THE Shrimps produced a superb performance to beat a talented young Manchester United side 4-0 in their final Papa John Trophy game.
Derek Adams’s side may not be able to progress into the knockout stages of the competition but they needed their campaign on a high with a comfortable win.
The Shrimps started the game on the front foot and produced a superb first half where they scored three and could have had more.
Derek Adams made seven changes to the side that drew with Stevenage at the weekend audit was two of those changes that got on the scoresheet before the break.
The game started with Morecambe denied what looked a clear penalty when Cole Stockton was Brough down by Teden Mengi but the appeal was waved away by the referee.
The decision did not put the Shrimps out of their stride however and they took the lead on 24 minutes.
Ryan Cooney was the unlikely goalscorer when he made an opening for himself on the left hand side of the area before curling a superb effort past Paul Woolston from the edge of the area.
Three minutes later Cooney added his second with an equally clinical finish as he stormed his way into the area and produced another superb finish to beat Woolston low to his left.
From there the United keeper kept the scores down with fine saves from Aaron Wildig and Cole Stockton before the Shrimps scored a third on 36 minutes when Harry Davis volleyed a Wildig corner home from close range.
United were on the front foot for the opening stages of the second half with Teden Mengi drilling a long range shot wide.
But it was the Shrimps who struck again on 62 minutes when Freddie Price scored his first senior goal with a cool finish to beat Woolston from the edge of the box.
Price was denied further strikes by two fine Woolston saves and the Shrimps maintained their four goal advantage thanks to some fine defending.
Morecambe: Halstead, Mellor (rep Hendrie 46), Davis, Knight-Percival (rep Lavelle 46), Cooney, Kenyon, Pringle, Price, Wildig (rep Mendes-Gomes 61), O’Sullivan, Stockton. Subs not used: Turner, Songo’o, Diagouraga, Slew.
Man Utd: Woolston, Devine (rep Bejger 78), Mengi, Fish, Neville (rep Elanger 61), McCann (rep helm 78), Hannibal, Puigmal, Pellestri, Shoretire, Hugill. Subs not used: Carney, Stanley, Hardley, Fernandez.
Ref: A Backhouse.