Morecambe fell to a 1-0 defeat against Fleetwood Town in a closely contested Lancashire derby at Highbury on Saturday afternoon.
Carlos Mendes Gomes’ first half goal for the hosts was the difference between the two sides.
Town opened the scoring against the run of play on 13 minutes when Shaun Rooney picked out Mendes Gomes from the right who side footed home from close range.
Morecambe came agonisingly close to an equaliser eight minutes later when Dan Crowley’s superb cross from the left found Michael Mellon, the resulting header cannoned back off the crossbar and away to safety.
Some fantastic defending from Liam Gibson denied The Cods a second of the afternoon when Rooney’s goal-bound strike was kept out by Gibson on the goal line.
Half-time: Fleetwood Town 1 Morecambe 0
Shrimps' goalkeeper Connor Ripley made an excellent save to deny the hosts a second early on in the second half when he pushed away Rooney’s shot from inside the penalty area.
Morecambe came close to an equaliser following some excellent football as Dan Crowley fed the ball to Adam Mayor on the left, he slipped in Jensen Weir but the Shrimps' man saw his effort deflected wide for a corner.
Substitute Ash Hunter forced Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch into a good save with a powerful low effort which the Cods' shot stopper saved at his near post.
Morecambe had their hands up for a penalty five minutes from time when Adam Mayor’s cross looked to have hit the arm of Rooney inside the area, but referee Andy Davies waved away the appeals.
Despite plenty of late pressure from the Shrimps, it was Fleetwood who held on to take all three points.
Full-time: Fleetwood Town 1 Morecambe 0
Fleetwood Town: Lynch, Sarpong-Wiredu (Robertson, 46’), Nsiala, Holgate, Rooney, Patterson (Hayes, 69’), Warrington (Earl, 90’), Vela, Mendes Gomes (Andrew, 46’), Stockley (Marriott, 85’), Macadam.
Subs not used: McMullan, Dolan.
Goals: Mendes Gomes (13’).
Bookings: Andrew, Hayes.
Red cards: None.
Morecambe: Ripley, Love, Gibson (Melbourne, 59’), Rawson, Bedeau (Taylor, 74’), Shaw, Gnahoua, Weir (Simeu, 85’), Crowley, Mayor, Mellon (Hunter, 59’).
Subs not used: Smith, Cooney, Austerfield.
Goals: None.
Bookings: Shaw, Love, Weir.
Red cards: None.
Attendance: 4,550.