MORECAMBE suffered their first defeat of the league season on a bad day at the office at the Mazuma Stadium.
Former Shrimps’ striker Paul Mullin scored twice and goals from Wes Hoolahan, Adam May and an unfortunate own goal from Jake Turner saw the U’s take the three points to move to the top off the early season League 2 table.
Boss Derek Adams made two changes to the side which won the first game of the season at Cheltenham Town with Liam McALinden starting I’m place of the injured Cole Stockton and Sam Lavelle being replaced by Aaron Wildig.
And it was the Shrimps who started the game the better with McAlinden being presented with a glorious chance on three minutes after being found by Carlos Mendes Gomes only to produce a week finish.
Cambridge showed their early intention with Hoolahan playing Joe Ironside in on goal only for his shot to be superbly blocked by Harry Davis.
Mullin then fired over with a cheeky overhead kick before the Shrimps went close again when Davis saw his close-range header from Ben Pringle’s corner superbly tipped over by Dimitar Mitov.
The contest was an even one until the half-hour mark when Cambridge scored their opener when Hoolahan took advantage of a half clearance to give Jake Turner no chance with a perfectly angled shot from the edge of the area.
The goals then continued to come at regular intervals and four minutes later it was 2-0. Mullin curled a superb left-footed effort from the edge of the box over Turner, but the ball hit the woodwork and rebounded into the net off the unlucky keeper.
To add insult to injury Cambridge added a third on 37 minutes with another clinical strike as Adam May drilled a low shot past Turner from the edge of the box for another fine goal.
Adams changed things at the break with Lavelle and John O’Sullivan on for full-backs Kelvin Mellor and Stephen Hendrie but unfortunately little changed.
Mullin made it 4-0 on 55 minutes with a close-range finish after Hoolahan’s corner was headed against the crossbar by Ironside.
And the same player made it 5-0 on 65 minutes when he was played in by Luke Hannant before calmly scoring past Turner.
Harvey Knibbs could have made it worse for the Shrimps when he clipped the ball over the bar from a good opening before the welcome sound of the final whistle.
Morecambe: Turner, Mellor (rep Lavelle 46), Knight-Percival, Davis, Hendrie (rep O’Sullivan 46), Diagouraga, Wildig, Phillips (rep Cooney 69), Pringle, Mendes-Gomes, McAlinden. Subs not used: Halstead, Slew, Kenyon, Price.
Cambridge United: Mitov, Knoyle (rep Davies 73), Cundy, Taylor, Dunk, Hoolahan, Digby, May, Hannant, Ironside (rep Knibbs 69), Mullin (rep Dallas 78). Subs not used: Burton, Iredale, Knowles.
Referee: Ben Speedie.