The Shrimps fell to a 3-1 defeat against Shrewsbury Town at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Saturday afternoon.
Morecambe travelled to Shropshire having taken five points from their last four games as they faced off with a Shrewsbury side who also went into the game with the same points haul from their previous five League One encounters.
Derek Adams included new signing Oumar Niasse in the matchday squad with the striker making it on to the bench for the first time. There were two changes to the starting line up from Tuesday’s draw with Cambridge United as Ryan Delaney and Adam Mayor came in for Max Melbourne and Ash Hunter respectively.
The earliest opportunity fell to the hosts. Matt Pennington drove from his own half to the edge of the Morecambe box with just under 10 minutes on the clock, before dispatching an effort which went high and wide with only Connor Ripley to beat.
Morecambe created havoc in the Shrewsbury Town box on 17 minutes when Jensen Weir sent in a teasing delivery towards the back post. The hosts couldn’t properly clear the danger and the ball found its way back to Weir whose second delivery found Shrimps players in the box, but neither Farrend Rawson, Dan Crowley or Liam Shaw could get a clear effort on goal.
Neat build up play on the edge of the box by Shrewsbury on 24 minutes lead to Chey Dunkley getting time and space on the edge of the box. Again, similar to the Pennington earlier in the game, he failed to capitalise on the opportunity with his effort going tamely into the arms of Ripley.
Just five minutes later and the hosts would again carve out an opportunity on the Shrimps goal. The ball finding Jordan Shipley at the back post who took a touch to set himself before hammering back across goal. Ripley was down early and equal to the effort to prevent Steve Cotterill’s side going ahead.
Just after the half hour mark, the home side took the lead from the penalty spot. A corner sent in from Bayliss was adjudged by the linesman to come off the arm of Crowley and referee Rebecca Welch pointed to the spot. Leahy stepped up, sent Ripley the wrong way as his strike nestled into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
Shrewsbury doubled their lead just before the break. After Morecambe defended bravely to usher out a second phase corner, the next one would find its way to Rob Street at the back post who managed to steer home the ball with the sole of his foot giving his side a strong advantage.
The Shrimps went up the other end and instantly pulled one back in additional time at the end of the first half. Shaw had a surging run into the box before cutting the ball back where it was laid into the path of Crowley. From the edge of the box, the Morecambe midfielder curled an effort beyond Marko Marosi to bring Derek Adams' side back into the game.
Half-time: Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Morecambe
Rekeil Pyke had the best opportunity of the opening stages in the second 45. Just before the hour mark, he ran on to a neat one-two on the edge of the box, but hammered his effort over the bar from 20 yards.
Morecambe thought that they equalised on 64 minutes. Dan Crowley’s inch-perfect free kick from the left-hand side met the head of Rawson at the back post. The defender expertly heading the ball back across goal and into the net, but the offside flag was raised, and the goal disallowed.
Moments later the midfielder again had a freekick in a similar position on the right-hand side. Crowley opting to shoot on this occasion, but the effort going wide of the near-post and not troubling Marosi in the home goal.
Ripley pulled off a fantastic save to deny Dunkely with 20 minutes remaining. Dunkley was picked out at the back-post from a Shrewsbury corner and managed to get his head cleanly to the ball, but Ripley reacted smartly using his legs to deny the home defender.
Shaw was next to test the home defensive resolve. After some neat work from Adam Mayor and Crowley, the ball was worked to Weir on the edge of the box who slid the ball across to Shaw. The on-loan Celtic midfielder letting fly from 25 yards, but his effort clipped a deflection on the way through, sending it just over the bar.
New signing Niasse made his entrance to the fray with 16 minutes remaining when he replaced Ryan Delaney.
It was then Crowley who very nearly levelled the game for the Shrimps. The midfielder letting fly from 20 yards in a central area with the shot wriggling and spinning, Marosi failed to catch it at the first time of asking. Had the goalkeeper not been reactive enough, Cole Stockton was almost on hand for the simplest of tap-ins.
The home side sealed all three points with just minutes remaining in the match. After being relatively toothless in the attacking third during the second period, a corner was sent in toward the back-post and Dunkley hammered his header beyond Ripley from six yards.
Weir almost pulled one back for Morecambe in the 93rd minute. The midfielder getting a good bounce on the ball, sending his half-volley whistling past the right-hand post. He was then followed up by Cole Stockton, who showed some lovely footwork to create a yard of space for himself, but his effort from eight yards was deflected behind for a corner.
Full-time: Shrewsbury Town 3-1 Morecambe
Shrewsbury Town: Marosi, Leahy, Pennington, Moore, Winchester, Street (Bloxham, 90'), Pyke (Bowman, 90'), Bayliss (Bennett, 75'), Dunkley, Shipley, Flanagan.
Subs not used: Burgoyne, Craig, Barlow.
Goals: Leahy 33', Street 44', Dunkley 84'.
Bookings: Moore, Bayliss, Leahy.
Red cards: None.
Morecambe: Ripley, Love, Gibson, Rawson, Delaney (Niasse, 74'), Crowley, Stockton, Weir, Shaw, Mayor Simeu.
Subs not used: Smith, Hunter, Gnahoua, Watts, Cooney, Austerfield.
Goals: Crowley (45+1’).
Bookings: None.
Red cards: None.
Attendance: 5,225 (122 away).