Fleetwood Town 1-2 Morecambe
Saturday 20 November 2021
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Highbury Stadium
Sky Bet League One
The Shrimps come away from Highbury with all three points after a 2-1 win over Lancashire rivals Fleetwood Town.
It was an even start to the game, with both sides trying their chance on goal, and the first big chance came on six minutes and fell to the way of the hosts as a deflected shot from Jay Matete sent the ball behind for a corner, which came to nothing.
Five minutes later and Morecambe found the breakthrough following a foul on Arthur Gnahoua just outside the box, up stepped Hull City loanee Callum Jones who fired the ball into the bottom corner, leaving Alex Cairns no chance.
Cole Stockton came agonisingly close to doubling Morecambe’s advantage on 15 minutes after doing well to bring the ball down and turning the defender, but his strike was saved by a fully stretched Cairns.
Stephen Robinson’s men continued to pile on the pressure and, on 22 minutes, Gnahoua did well to pick the pocket of the defender, but the angle was too wide as the ball rolled across the face of goal.
After 30 minutes, the Cod Army picked up the pace and tried to breakthrough a very strong Morecambe defence, but the back line stood tall and refused to give way.
Two minutes from the half time whistle and Ged Garner found himself in time and space on the ball and looked to curl one beyond Jokull Andresson, but there was too much pace on the shot.
Half-time: Fleetwood Town 0–1 Shrimps
It was Town who carved out the first chance six minutes into the second half after Garner received the ball inside the box, but his first time effort reached the back of the stand.
The Shrimps went in search for a second and came close when Jonah Ayunga tried his luck on the angle, but was blocked by a defender.
A flurry of Fleetwood corners followed, but Morecambe’s defence stood firm, as Andresson rose highest to claim the ball and eliminate any danger.
The Cod Army’s increasing pressure ultimately paid off on 82 minutes when Callum Johnson headed home from a corner, finally breaching the Shrimps’ resilient defending.
As soon as the fourth official held the board up to confirm four minutes of added time, Morecambe’s tempo and efforts increased once more as they went in search of a deserved winner, and it paid off.
Stockton brought the ball down after overpowering the defender before taking one look up to see the goalkeeper off his line, which was enough for the 27-year-old to attempt an outrageous strike from his own half which sailed over Cairns and nestled in the back of the net to secure the three points for Morecambe.
Full-time: Fleetwood Town 1–2 Shrimps
We are back at home again on Tuesday night as we face Charlton Athletic in Sky Bet League One.
Fleetwood Town: Cairns, Andrew, Clarke (Biggins, 77’) Morton, Holgate, G Garner (J Garner, 66’), Matete (Pilkington, 77’) Morris, Batty, Johnson, Lane
Subs not used: Crellin, Edmondson, Clark, Johnston
Goals: Johnson 82’
Bookings: None
Red Cards: Pilkington
Morecambe: Andresson, McLaughlin, Leigh, O’Connor, Jones, Stockton, Delaney, Ayunga (Phillips, 79’) McLoughlin (Diagouraga, 75’), Gnahoua, McCalmont
Subs not used: Da Silva Mendes, Cooney, Gibson, Duffus, Wootton
Goals: Jones 8’, Stockton 90+4'
Bookings: McLoughlin, Stockton
Red Cards: None