Morecambe started New Year with a bang, as they put five past Burton Albion at the Mazuma Stadium in a comprehensive victory.
Goals from Kieran Phillips, Caleb Watts and Jensen Weir recured the victory, as the Shrimps made easy work of their League One opponents on a memorable day.
Morecambe were looking to make it back-to-back league victories following the midweek win over Accrington Stanley, and were the better of the two sides in the early stages in this fixture.
Cole Stockton, who impressed in the previous fixture with his strength and link-up play, thought he'd given Morecambe the lead on 15 minutes with a wonderful header from a Ryan Cooney cross. Stockton guided his header to the far post, only for a Burton man to scamper back and clear off the line. The ball came back out to Stockton, who's second attempt was bundled clear in dramatic fashion.
Burton were offering very little up top in the opening half an hour, with Bobby Kamwa struggling up against Adam Mayor on the left flank.
Morecambe did take a deserved lead just after half an hour, thanks to a defensive mix-up by Burton. Stockton was played through on goal, but took one touch too many as he tried to work the angle to shoot. The ball ricocheted into the path of Jensen Weir, who's bundled effort came off Kieran Phillips on it's way to goal, with the ball rolling over the line to give the Shrimps a deserved lead.
Burton were really struggling to make a contest of it, with their best effort in the first 45 minutes coming from John Brayford, who's long-range first-time strike rattled the bar and bounced clear.
Moments later, Morecambe doubled the lead, as Jensen Weir got in on the act as the half drew to a close. A long ball forward was pounced on by Cole Stockton as the Burton goalkeeper came rushing out of his area. The goalkeeper's clearance came off Stockton into the path of Jensen Weir, who was cool enough to tuck the ball into an empty net and give Morecambe a comfortable two goal lead at the break.
Half-time: Morecambe 2 Burton Albion 0
It was turning into an afternoon to remember for Morecambe, as they grabbed two more goals in the opening ten minutes of the second 45. The first came on 51 minutes, as substitute Caleb Watts grabbed his first for the Club following a goal mouth scramble in the Burton box. The ball fell to Watts, who tapped home into and empty net.
It was 4-0 minutes later, as Kieran Phillips latched onto a long ball forward and poked the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper and into the back of the net, with the Shrimps really turning on the style at the Mazuma Stadium.
With the rain lashing down and Morecambe four to the good, it was case of a seeing the game out for Derek Adams men, with Burton threatening Connor Ripley's goal on rare occasions.
The Shrimps made it 5-0 in the final five minutes as Caleb Watts beat the offside trap to go on and sneak the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper and seal a comprehensive victory for Morecambe on the opening day of 2023.
Full-time: Morecambe 5 Burton Albion 0
Morecambe: Ripley, Melbourne, Gibson, Rawson, Delaney, Stockton (Watts, 45'), Weir (Love 80'), Bedeau, Shaw, Cooney, Phillips (Gnahoua 75'), Mayor (Connolly 87').
Subs not used: Smith, Fane, O'Connor.
Goals: Phillips (33', 54') Weir (45') Watts (51', 85')
Bookings:
Red cards:
Burton Albion: Garratt, Brayford, Borthwick-Jackson, Oshilaja, Mariappa (Dodoo 78'), Onyango (Carayol 56'), Adeboyejo, Ndaba (Smith, 45'), Taylor, Hamer, Kamwa (Keillor-Dunn, 71')
Subs not used: Sinisalo, Powell, Smith, Mancienne.
Goals:
Bookings: Taylor
Red cards:
Attendance: 3972 (218)