Two goals either side of the break ensured the Shrimps claimed maximum points away at Walsall.
Derek Adams made four changes from last Saturday’s clash with Bolton Wanderers, with Stephen Hendrie, Liam McAlinden, Ryan Cooney and Freddie Price all coming in to replace Kelvin Mellor, Carlos Mendes Gomes, Liam Gibson and Aaron Wildig respectively.
Morecambe’s first chance of note came on 13 minutes when Price played a clever attempted dink forwards into the path of McAlinden from the free-kick, but goalkeeper Jack Rose just managed to beat his opponent to the ball.
Just one minute later and it was Walsall’s turn to create an opportunity as Tyreik Wright picked up possession and evaded three Shrimps players as he worked his way into the box, only to be vitally intercepted at the last second by Nathaniel Knight-Percival.
It was the Saddlers who continued to pose a greater risk as Emmanuel Osadebe delivered a dangerous ball into the box on 23 minutes, but no man in red was able to meet the cross.
Walsall’s biggest chance of the half came on 39 minutes when Josh Gordon found himself in possession in line with the penalty spot, but the Saddlers number 10 could only slice his effort wide of Kyle Letheren’s goal.
The Shrimps, who defended resolutely throughout the first half, were rewarded for their efforts seconds before the break as Cole Stockton controlled a ball over the top well, flicked it beyond the reach of Dan Scarr, broke into the area and curled an effort past Rose, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead going into half-time.
Six minutes into the second half and the Banks’s Stadium club looked to respond immediately to Stockton’s late first-half strike as they worked a clever move forward which resulted in a cross into the box which found Gordon, but the Stoke-born striker could only divert his header well over the bar.
Ben Pringle looked to cause an immediate impact from the bench on 63 minutes when his low cross from the left deflected kindly to the feet of Toumani Diagouraga on the penalty spot, but the Frenchman’s effort curled narrowly wide.
After a number of big chances, the Shrimps doubled their advantage on 77 minutes. A dangerous corner from Pringle found captain Sam Lavelle whose initial header was saved by Rose at close range, but Yann Songo’o was the first to respond and was rewarded for doing so as his header nestled into the back of the net, a deserving double for the men from West Lancashire.
Despite late pressure and a flurry of chances from the hosts, Adams’ men defended well to keep the Saddlers at bay and were able to hold on to a valuable three points in their final away league game of the campaign.
Walsall: Rose, Melbourne, Clarke, Scarr, Kinsella (Bates, 82) Gordon (Lavery, 65) McDonald, Perry, Osadebe, White, Wright
Unused subs: Roberts, Norman, Nolan, Leak, Willis
Morecambe: Letheren, Hendrie, Knight-Percival (Davis, 90+3) Lavelle, Diagouraga, Stockton, Lyons, McAlinden (Denny, 88) Cooney, Price (Pringle, 62) Songo’o (Kenyon, 90+3)
Unused sub: Halstead
Referee: Lee Swabey