Stephen Robinson’s men played out a goalless pre-season friendly with Sky Bet Championship side Barnsley at Loughborough University.
It was Barnsley who started on the front foot and the first chance of the game fell their way in the third minute as Jordan Williams laid the ball off to Marcel Ritzmaier on the edge of the D, but his curling effort sailed well over the bar.
The Tykes continued to threaten and three minutes later, Cauley Woodrow looked to get in behind to receive a ball over the top, but the pass had too much pace on it and escaped the Barnsley man to roll out for a goal kick.
The Shrimps rode Barnsley’s pressure well and looked to cause their own problems when, on 12 minutes, the ball fell to Wes McDonald halfway between the centre spot and the opposing D, but the resulting shot wasn’t enough to test Brad Collins in the Barnsley goal.
Four minutes later and a clever free kick taken quickly gifted Carlton Morris a one-on-one, but Kyle Letheren read the play well and beat his opponent to the ball to clear the danger.
On 20 minutes, Williams drove forward from his left-back position and looked to bend one into the far-right corner, but Letheren managed to save comfortably.
It was Williams who came closest to scoring the opening goal on 23 minutes when he found himself in the perfect position at the back post, only to see his effort crash back off the woodwork from close range.
Shrimps’ striker Cole Stockton looked to break the deadlock on 36 minutes after receiving a pass just behind the penalty spot, but his first-time strike rolled narrowly wide of the far-left post.
Just a minute later and the Tykes looked to respond to the building Morecambe pressure through a Woodrow strike from the angle, but his effort was comfortably held by Letheren.
Moments before the half-time break and a Jacob Mensah free-kick from the right-back position was sent deep and looked to evade everyone, but Anthony O’Connor kept the move alive and headed the ball back into the mix, only to have the danger cleared.
The second half started in a similar fashion to that of the first half, with high pressure from the Championship side, but the Shrimps again managed to cope well with what was being thrown their way.
The opening chance of the half came on 62 minutes when Woodrow headed down the long ball into the path of Carlton Morris, but his strike from the edge of the box was sliced well over.
Morecambe looked to build momentum in proceedings and carved an opening on 69 minutes when Toumani Diagouraga dispossessed his opposition and passed to McDonald who played through Josh McPake, but his chipped attempt was lacking height and pace.
The Shrimps came agonisingly close to the first goal on 71 minutes when McDonald turned his opponent inside out down the right before sending the ball into McPake whose effort was struck narrowly wide of Collins’ post.
In what turned out to be quite the end-to-end affair, it was Barnsley that came close on 79 minutes when a dangerous ball was sent into the box which Shrimps skipper Sam Lavelle looked to clear with his head, though the ball was sent narrowly wide of his own goal.
Four minutes later and the Tykes were again one-on-one with Letheren, but the Welshman made himself big once more and denied the Barnsley attack.
Despite late pressure from both sides, the game ended goalless in what was a competitive affair for both sets of players.