Mainy’s Verdict: An entertaining game ends in a 3-3 draw at the RCDE Stadium

Spanish La Liga

RCD Espanyol 3-3 Atletico Madrid

Montes 64 Saul 21

Joselu 76 pen Griezmann 44

Souza 79 Carrasco 46

What happened

Espanyol came from three goals down to draw 3-3 against Atletico Madrid in a thrilling match at the RCDE Stadium on Wednesday night.

Goals from Saul, Antoine Griezmann and Yannick Carrasco gave the visitors a significant advantage, before they were pegged back by goals from Cesar Montes, Joselu and Vinicius Souza.

It was a very end-to-end game to start with, until Atletico got the first on 21 minutes when Saul was free on the left-hand side and he put the ball past goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco and the ball went in off the post.

The hosts could’ve equalised ten minutes later when Javi Puado’s well-drilled shot was pushed wide by Ivo Grbic.

Moments later, Puado had a header from a corner saved before there were loud shouts for handball but the referee waved away the appeals.

On 44 minutes, Pacheco made a series of saves before Griezmann’s close-range shot looked to have been saved by the ‘keeper but VAR ruled it to have gone over the line and after two minutes or so of deliberations, the referee awarded the goal to the visitors.

Just seconds into the second half, Atletico made it three when Angel Correa’s shot was saved and Carrasco put away the rebound.

Espanyol, with the crowd behind them led a fightback and came close on 54 minutes when Nico Melamed’s long range shot was pushed over by the ‘keeper, and ten minutes later they got a goal back when Montes headed home from a corner at the near post.

Joselu then had a goal ruled out for offside on 67 minutes, and substitute Edu Exposito had a shot saved after a short corner moments later.

On 76 minutes, a penalty was awarded to Espanyol after Puado was brought down in the box by Grbic, who was booked. Joselu buried the ball into the bottom-left corner, beating the ‘keeper.

There were limbs just three minutes later when Souza headed home from a good ball into the box to equalise for Luis Garcia’s side.

Espanyol nearly made it four on 83 minutes when Joselu was played through but his shot was saved.

Verdict

It was a very entertaining game at the RCDE Stadium. I thought Atletico looked much the better side for the first half, playing some very good fluent football with a lot of one-touch passing, but Espanyol did very well to get back into the game and the atmosphere was amazing. I was particularly impressed with Nico Melamed going forward, and thought Edu Exposito also did well when he came on. Defensively, Montes looked good and took his goal really well. Espanyol could’ve even gone onto win the game, but it wasn’t to be and they had to settle for a point which wasn’t really enough in their relegation battle.

I was confused that it took so long for the referee to award Griezmann’s goal, and it shows why goal-line technology is so handy and it clearly wasn’t at use here. It would’ve saved a lot of time had the facility been there.

I loved my time in Spain, and it was a great way to finish my 2022/23 season of watching football!

RCD Espanyol: Pacheco, Regano (Vidal 55), Montes, Calero (Souza 45), Cabrera, Olivan (Pedrosa 78), Puado (Braithwaite 78), Darder, Suarez (Exposito 56), Joselu, Melamed.

Booked: Souza and Vidal.

Subs not used: Garcia, Bare, Romero, Gabriel, Gomez, Fernandez, Koleosho.

Atletico Madrid: Grbic, Molina, Witsel, Gimenez, Hermoso, Carrasco (Reguilon 88), De Paul (Barrios 77), Koke (Kondogbia 88), Saul, Griezmann, Correa (Martin 78).

Booked: Grbic, Gimenez, Martin.

Attendance: 25,822.

Mainy’s Verdict: Real Sociedad spoil Barcelona title party and boost their own Champions League hopes

La Liga

Barcelona 1-2 Real Sociedad

Lewandowski 90 Merino 5 Sørloth 72

Barcelona fell to just their fourth league defeat of the season as they were beaten 2-1 by Real Sociedad at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Mikel Merino gave the visitors an early lead, and Alexander Sørloth extended it midway through the second half.

Robert Lewandowski got a goal back for Xavi Hernandez’s side late on but it was too little too late for Barcelona.

It took just five minutes for Real Sociedad to get their noses in front as Jules Koundé lost the ball to Sørloth, who squared the ball to Merino and he buried the ball into the bottom left corner with Marc-André ter Stegen getting a touch to it.

Barcelona got themselves into the game however and dominated chances, with Ousmane Dembélé’s header being saved by the legs of visiting keeper Álex Remiro on 16 minutes.

10 minutes later, Raphinha put a good ball into the box but Lewandowski’s diving header went over the bar.

Real Sociedad had two golden opportunities to extend their lead on 30 and 32 minutes respectively with Mohamed-Ali Cho’s close range effort saved before Ander Barrenetxea’s lob over ter Stegen went over the bar.

On 66 minutes, Sørloth headed just wide on the end of a free kick, and then nine minutes later the visitors hit Barcelona on the break and Martín Zubimendi put a good ball in for Sørloth to fire home in acres of space.

Barcelona’s fans appeared to get bored of the game and started a sizeable Mexican wave, and during this, the hosts scored when Lewandowski headed home from close range on the end of a good ball from Ferran Torres on the right in the 90th minute.

There were five minutes of added time, but it was too little too late for Barcelona, who lifted the La Liga trophy after the game for the first time since 2019.

Talking points

Ousmane Dembélé did well on the flanks but Sociedad defended well and frustrated Barcelona all night

The person that impressed me the most for Barcelona was Ousmane Dembélé. He was quick, excellent on his feet and great at beating his man. That being said, there was little to no end product for Barcelona all night because Real Sociedad defended really well, won lots of headers when balls were put into the box and they did really well to frustrate Barcelona all evening.

Sørloth played a crucial role in the victory for Sociedad

Alexander Sørloth was Real Sociedad’s best player in my view, contributing to both goals with one goal and one assist. He looked excellent on the break and exploited Barcelona’s weaknesses well.

Real Sociedad took advantage of Barcelona’s defensive errors

Barcelona dominated much of the game, especially in possession but what won Sociedad the game was the fact that they took advantage of Barcelona’s defensive errors and were excellent on the break. Sociedad are now six games unbeaten and look on course for a Champions League spot.

Barcelona: ter Stegen, Balde, Koundé (Alonso 45), Christensen, Alba, Kessié (Ansu Fati 63), Busquets (Garcia 84), de Jong, Raphinha (Torres 63), Lewandowski, Dembélé (Torre 86).

Booked: Alonso, Busquets, de Jong, Lewandowski.

Subs not used: Peña, Roberto, Astralaga.

Real Sociedad: Remiro, Elustondo, Zubeldia (Pacheco 81), Le Normand, Rico, Illarramendi (Gorosabel 58), Zubimendi, Cho (Kubo 58), Merino, Barrenetxea (Marín 73), Sørloth (Fernández 81).

Booked: Zubeldia, Illarramendi, Kubo, Fernández.

Subs not used: Sola, Oyarzabal, Muñoz, Zubiaurre, Guevara, Navarro, Turrientes.

Attendance: 88,049

Mainy’s Verdict: Morecambe relegated after Exeter defeat

Sky Bet League 1

Exeter City 3-2 Morecambe

Stansfield 49,57,70 Stockton 53,90+14

Morecambe suffered the first relegation in their history following a 3-2 defeat to Exeter City on Sunday.

Jay Stansfield scored a hat-trick for the hosts in his final game for the club, while Cole Stockton scored two goals to ensure he ended the season as the Shrimps’ top scorer.

The visitors started the game well, playing some good football and came close 15 minutes in when Dan Crowley’s long range strike went just wide of the mark.

Exeter grew into the game though and on 30 minutes Demetri Mitchell’s shot was deflected before going out for a corner.

The hosts took the lead four minutes into the second half when Sam Nombe laid the ball off to Stansfield and he buried the ball into the bottom-right corner.

Their lead didn’t last long however as Jensen Weir’s long ball forward was met by Stockton who headed the ball over Exeter ‘keeper Jamal Blackman to equalise for the Shrimps.

Stansfield put Exeter back in the lead on 57 minutes when Weir’s poor clearance after a good ball in from the right went straight to the striker – who blasted the ball into the bottom-left corner.

The Grecians extended their lead on 70 minutes when Gibson was beaten to the ball on the right-hand side and the winger put a good cross in that was met by Stansfield and buried into the bottom-left corner.

Three minutes from the end of normal time, Weir had a long range shot tipped over by Blackman.

14 minutes of added time were indicated, and seven minutes into added time Stockton headed wide from a good ball in from the left.

The Morecambe forward bagged his second of the game seven minutes later when he met Adam Mayor’s pinpoint cross and fired the ball in the top-left corner.

Sadly for Derek Adams’ side, their failure to get a win on the final day sent them back down to League 2.

Talking points

A sad day for the Shrimps as they were relegated for the first time in their history

After a poor season on and off the field, Morecambe had put themselves within touching distance of survival with three straight wins and with other results going our way in the lead up to the game and MK Dons failing to win, a victory for the Shrimps would’ve kept us in League 1. Sadly though, it wasn’t to be. It was a day that I won’t forget as we travelled in our numbers to Exeter, and the atmosphere was amazing. You can’t fault the fans or the players who have worked hard in difficult circumstances. At the end of the day, Exeter were the better side and as a result got the better of us.

Exeter outplayed us for the majority of the game

While we started the game well, Exeter grew into the game and it got to the point where they looked much more likely to score. They looked fitter than us, and gave our full backs a real run for their money. They outplayed us, especially along the flanks. That being said, their goals were preventable and our defending for the goals was poor. Stockton gave us some hope when he equalised, and the scenes in the Morecambe end were something to behold (I nearly lost my glasses!) but sadly Exeter got back in front not long after and they went on to win the game which was devastating for us given the consequences.

Morecambe’s future is worrying

With the ownership situation still not sorted out, Morecambe are unable to plan for next season so the future of the club is very worrying. I write this not long after our retained list has been released and no new contracts have been offered. This is incredibly worrying. I’m gutted that the likes of Connor Ripley and Liam Gibson have left the club, Ripley in particular has been excellent this season and probably would’ve moved onto bigger and better things anyway, but you could tell he loved the club and was very passionate and popular with the fans. Hopefully the situation gets sorted as soon as possible so we can start planning for next season. If it’s not sorted sooner rather than later, I think we could be staring down the barrel at another relegation..

Exeter City: Blackman, Grounds, Aimson, Hartridge (Sweeney 35), Key, Collins, Chauke (Kite 62), Borges (Caprice 74), Mitchell (Sparkes 63), Stansfield (Cox 74), Nombe (Scott 87).

Booked: Sweeney, Kite, Borges, Caprice.

Sub not used: Coley.

Morecambe: Ripley, Cooney (Mayor 55), Bedeau, Rawson (Shaw 62), Gibson, Austerfield (Simeu 85), Weir, Taylor (Delaney 44), Crowley (Hunter 55), Gnahoua (Niasse 45), Stockton.

Booked: Mayor, Weir, Hunter.

Sub not used: Smith.

Attendance: 7,386

Mainy’s Verdict: Shrimps win phenomenal game at Mazuma with 3-2 win over Lincoln City

Sky Bet League 1

Morecambe 3-2 Lincoln City

Stockton 50,86 Sørensen 30

Niasse 66 Virtue 48

Morecambe came from behind to beat Lincoln City 3-2 in what was a crucial win for Derek Adams’ side in the League 1 relegation battle.

A defeat would’ve all but seen the Shrimps relegated due to MK Dons’ superior goal difference.

Lasse Sørensen put the visitors in front in the first half, before Matty Virtue doubled their advantage early in the second half.

However, Morecambe mounted a successful comeback with two goals from Cole Stockton and a goal from Oumar Niasse.

Derek Adams’ side played some good football early on but chances were few and far between in the first half hour. Jensen Weir came closest but his shot was saved on 29 minutes and shortly afterwards, Lincoln went in front when Sørensen latched onto the end of a good ball and poked the ball in the bottom-left corner.

The Imps could’ve doubled their lead three minutes before half time when Danny Mandriou brought about an excellent aerial save from Connor Ripley.

Three minutes into the second half, Mark Kennedy’s side did double their lead when Ryan Cooney was beaten on the left by Olamide Shodipo and he squared it to Virtue who buried the ball in the bottom left corner.

But moments later, the Shrimps got a goal back when Stockton beat the ‘keeper off his line on the half volley with the ball going into the top right corner.

Ten minutes later, Morecambe should’ve equalised through Daniel Crowley but he took one too many touches and his shot hit the post.

On 66 minutes, the hosts did equalise when Niasse got his head on the end of Jake Taylor’s long ball forward and it looped over Lincoln ‘keeper Carl Rushworth to put the two sides on level terms.

11 minutes later, Lincoln came very close to going back in front when Paudie O’Connor hit the bar but it was Morecambe who took the lead on 86 minutes when Ash Hunter’s excellent free kick into the box was met by the head of Stockton, sending the home fans wild.

Talking points

One hell of a game with lots of twists and turns

With an almost sell out crowd and a very much hyped up game, I had a funny feeling we were going to be in for a cracker and that turned out to be the case. We started the game well, playing good football but not creating many chances and our heads dropped a little after Lincoln took the lead. They got another early in the second half and we looked down and out but the never say die attitude got us through and a very spirited performance and some well crafted goals got us back in the game. Where has this fight been all season?!

Cole Stockton had a cracking game and has hit form at the perfect time

Cole Stockton was impressive. Despite having his shirt pulled left, right and centre, he held the ball up really well and linked up with his fellow forwards well. He was excellent in the air, took his goals really well and could’ve potentially had a hat-trick. He’s starting to put himself in the shop window come the summer potentially?

The Shrimps live to fight another day

A defeat would’ve seen us pretty much relegated, and the desire we showed to come from behind was amazing and I’ve got a funny feeling we’re going to do the impossible you know… A HUGE game next week.

Morecambe: Ripley, Cooney (Niasse 63), Bedeau, Rawson, Melbourne (Taylor 45), Austerfield, Gibson, Weir (Delaney 90), Crowley (Hunter 67), Gnahoua (Shaw 89), Stockton.

Booked: Austerfield, Crowley and Stockton.

Subs not used: Smith and Simeu

Lincoln City: Rushworth, Poole, O’Connor, Roughan, Sørensen, Virtue (Makama 89), Erhahon, Boyes (Duffy 89), Shodipo (Sanders 62), House, Mândriou (Plange 90+10).

Booked: Poole, Virtue, Erhahon.

Subs not used: Eyoma, Long, Gallagher.

Attendance: 5,769

Mainy’s Verdict: Shrimps give their all but it wasn’t to be against Plymouth Argyle

Sky Bet League 1

Morecambe 1-3 Plymouth Argyle

Weir 3 Mayor 63 Waine 86 Matete 90+3

Morecambe dropped to 23rd in League 1 following a 3-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle at the Mazuma Stadium today – their third straight defeat.

Jensen Weir gave Derek Adams’ side an early lead but Plymouth fought back with goals from substitutes Danny Mayor, Ben Waine and Jay Matete.

Plymouth threatened right from the very beginning, with James Wilson’s close range effort saved, before Morecambe hit Argyle on the break and Dan Crowley played through Weir who charged forward with the ball and beat the ‘keeper in the bottom left corner.

Notable chances were few and far between after that, until Joe Edwards’ header was deflected just over the bar on the end of an impressive cross on 39 minutes and just before half time, Wilson’s long-range strike went just wide of the mark.

Morecambe’s best chance of the second half came when Josh Austerfield played through Cole Stockton but his shot was saved by Callum Burton in the 55th minute.

Plymouth got back into the game on 63 minutes when Mayor cut inside from the left and curled the ball into the bottom-right corner.

The hosts could’ve regained their lead when Donald Love’s powerful effort went wide 20 minutes later.

The visitors went in front on 86 minutes when Pape Souare lost the ball to Matete and he squared it to Waine who slotted home from close range.

Steven Schumacher’s side got their winner in the third minute of added time, when they hit the Shrimps on the break and Callum Wright played through Matete who buried the ball in the bottom-left corner to seal the win.

The result sees Plymouth Argyle move up to top spot.

Talking points

For the first 60 minutes we were in control but Plymouth were simply more clinical

We took our goal really well and while I don’t believe we deserved to be in front at the break, we defended well and nullified the attacking threat that Plymouth posed. However, Plymouth got back into the game and made good use of their substitutes unlike us. We made our subs way too late, and it’s quite clear that Plymouth used their subs to their advantage given that all three of their goals were scored by substitutes. The visitors were simply more clinical in front of goal, and the lapses in concentration certainly cost us.

Dan Crowley and Pape Souare both impressed for the Shrimps

I thought Dan Crowley and Pape Souare both had excellent games today. Crowley got an assist very early on, and he did well to drive play going forward. Souare was good both defensively and going forward and apart from the mistake he made for their second goal he could’ve got man of the match. Arguably his best game in a Morecambe shirt. It was a shame the same couldn’t be said for his fellow full-back’s performance though..

The quality of officiating was poor and some may argue cost us the game

I thought the referee had a really poor game. He gave a lot of decisions against us, and it appeared to be that even with the softest of touches he would give decisions against us. In the first half, there was a key decision from the linesman that may well have changed the game. Stockton appeared to be through but potentially in an offside position so he left the ball to Crowley and then it was given offside. However, Stockton didn’t appear to touch the ball so I was a bit shocked that it was given offside. If that decision wasn’t given we could’ve scored a second and maybe gone on to win the game but that’s football for you!

Morecambe: Ripley, Love, Rawson, Simeu (Niasse 90), Delaney, Souare (Mayor 90), Austerfield, Gibson, Weir, Crowley (Watts 71), Stockton.

Booked: Rawson and Austerfield.

Subs not used: Smith, Taylor, Gnahoua, Cooney.

Plymouth Argyle: Burton, Wilson, Scarr, Galloway, Edwards (Mumba 75), Houghton (Matete 84), Butcher (Mayor 57), Miller (C Wright 75), T Wright, Cosgrove (Waine 56), Hardie.

Booked: Edwards and Matete.

Subs not used: Lonwijk and Parkes.

Attendance: 4,904

Mainy’s Verdict: Shrimps simply can’t cut it as they are defeated by MK Dons

Sky Bet League 1

MK Dons 1-0 Morecambe

Leko 57

Morecambe continued their abysmal away record with a 1-0 defeat to fellow strugglers MK Dons on Saturday.

Jonathan Leko’s goal separated the two sides on the day in what was another frustrating afternoon for the Shrimps.

Derek Adams’ side did take the game to the hosts in the first half, and limited MK to very few chances but they did have the better ones.

Mo Eisa forced Connor Ripley into a good save on 23 minutes, and his cross was well intercepted by Ripley just before half time.

Oumar Niasse and Dan Crowley had Morecambe’s only chances of the first half with the former’s shot being blocked and the latter’s being deflected and out for a corner on 28 and 45 minutes respectively.

In the second half, MK Dons came out of their shell a bit more and two minutes in, Eisa headed wide on the end of a good cross.

Their goal came on 57 minutes when they hit the Shrimps on the break and Leko met Daniel Harvie’s cross at the far post – putting it away from close range.

Morecambe came incredibly close to equalising just moments later when Pape Souare’s powerful strike hit the post.

MK Dons nearly doubled their lead on 65 minutes when Leko’s powerful shot was saved and Eisa put the rebound astoundingly wide.

Chances were few and far between after that, and the hosts held on for the win.

Talking points

We were the better side in the first half but slipped away in the second

There was a lot of promising play in the first half, it was quite end to end and we got the ball into good positions but didn’t take advantage of it. That being said, MK Dons had the better chances and we did well to deal with them. In the second half however, MK Dons came out of their shell and it looked more and more likely that they were going to score and they eventually did.

It got really frustrating to watch

The game got really frustrating to watch from a Morecambe fan’s perspective, Souare hit the post – probably our best chance – and we didn’t create much more after that. In the first half, we were passing the ball into promising positions but not taking shots, we were passing it around way too much! It’s as if the players don’t have the confidence to shoot on goal now and it’s reflected in the stats too – 56% possession, 1 shot on target. Dismal.

I was confused that Rawson didn’t start

When I saw the starting lineup, I was really bewildered as to why Farrend Rawson wasn’t starting. He’s been our best defender this season, winning near enough everything in the air. Funnily enough, on my way home I bumped into Derek Adams at a motorway service station. I went up to him and asked him why he’d dropped Rawson and to be fair to him he gave me a very honest answer. He said something along the lines of “MK Dons set up with a front three so I wanted to match that and add a bit more pace to the back”. Fair enough, at least that’s clarified..

A game we really needed to win

This was a game we really needed to get something from in our fight for survival. Every game we lose or draw, the harder it is and the less likely it looks that we will survive. Like many Morecambe fans, I’ve pretty much given up hope now anyway..

MK Dons: Cumming, Watson, Tucker, Lewington, Lawrence, McEachran (Johnson 89), Maghoma, Harvie, Leko (Holland 73), Eisa (Grigg 73), Grant (Devoy 82).

Booked: Maghoma

Subs not used: Smith, Robson, Ravizzoli.

Morecambe: Ripley, Simeu, Bedeau (Rawson 87), Gibson, Love, Shaw (Austerfield 61), Weir, Souare (Mayor 61), Crowley, Niasse (Stockton 60), Hunter (Watts 73).

Booked: Simeu, Bedeau, Watts.

Subs not used: Smith and Delaney.

Attendance: 6,758 (206 away).

Mainy’s Verdict: Two poor sides as Morecambe share points with Oxford United

Sky Bet League 1

Morecambe 1-1 Oxford United

Hunter 87 Browne 41

A late strike from substitute Ash Hunter ensured Morecambe shared the points with Oxford United in a dull game at the Mazuma Stadium.

Marcus Browne put the visitors in front just before half time, before the former Salford man’s equaliser three minutes from time.

Chances were few and far between for the majority of the match, but Morecambe came close on seven minutes when Dan Crowley’s long range shot was saved, and half an hour later Jensen Weir fired wide from long range.

Slightly against the run of play, Oxford took the lead four minutes from half time when Yanic Wildschut beat Donald Love on the left-hand side before squaring the ball to Browne who put the ball away at the far post.

Moments later, Cameron Brannagan’s free kick was cleared off the line by Morecambe’s Farrend Rawson.

On 72 minutes, Browne nearly had his second of the game when his long range shot went wide after Jacob Bedeau gave the ball away.

Morecambe’s equaliser came 15 minutes later when Caleb Watts gave the ball to Hunter who put the ball onto his right foot and drove the ball into the bottom-left corner.

The Shrimps had a shout for a penalty in added time when Watts was brought down in the box but the referee waved away appeals.

The result sees Derek Adams’ side drop to 22nd in the League 1 table, while Oxford remain in 19th.

Talking points

A pretty poor game that resembled a goalless draw

Today’s game was a game between two really poor sides, and there wasn’t much in it. Both sides cancelled each other out really, and it resembled a dull goalless draw, although there were two goals in it. It was a good team move for Oxford’s goal, and Ash Hunter took his really well but neither ‘keeper was really tested otherwise. Not a great deal of entertainment, pitch played it’s part in places with it being a little bobbly and it won’t be a game that will live long in the memory.

Dynel Simeu solid at the back

I thought that Dynel Simeu was our best player on the field, and bar the goal our defence was pretty solid and Simeu was at the heart of it. It was in my view one of his best performances since coming to the club in January. He outmuscled his opponents, and worked well in the back three.

We drop to 22nd but it’s still tight at the bottom

This was a game where a win would’ve been vital as it would’ve put us level on points with Oxford and potentially out of the relegation zone, but it’s no good talking ifs and buts and ultimately we didn’t do enough to get the three points. A draw was a fair result. We’ve got eight cup finals to go, and we face MK Dons next week – a game where three points would see us overtake them. In theory though, we’ve not done well against MK Dons in our past few meetings and our away form has been shocking so I don’t expect us to get anything from the game sadly.

Morecambe: Ripley, Love, Bedeau (Watts 77), Rawson, Simeu, Mayor (Souare 52), Shaw (Austerfield 77), Weir (Stockton 52) , Gibson, Crowley, Niasse (Hunter 77).

Booked: Simeu, Crowley and Mayor.

Subs not used: Smith and Delaney.

Oxford United: Eastwood, Long, Moore, Findlay, Brown, Smyth (Bate 90+3), McGuane, Brannagan, Browne, O’Donkor (Murphy 74), Wildschut (Joseph 63).

Booked: Browne

Subs not used: Fleming, McGinty, Goodrham, Anderson.

Attendance: 4,260

Mainy’s Verdict: Morecambe simply not good enough as they lose to Shrewsbury

Sky Bet League 1

Shrewsbury Town 3-1 Morecambe

Leahy 33 pen Crowley 45+1

Street 44

Dunkley 84

What happened

Morecambe slumped to a 3-1 defeat away at League 1 play-off hopefuls Shrewsbury on a wet Saturday afternoon in Shropshire.

Goals from Luke Leahy and Rob Street gave the hosts a first half advantage but the Shrimps pulled one back through Daniel Crowley on the brink of half time.

Steve Cotterill’s side then got a winner late in the second half through Chey Dunkley.

It was a fairly quiet opening half hour until Connor Ripley was forced into action when he got down well to deny Jordan Shipley from close range.

Four minutes later, the hosts then took the lead when Crowley handled the ball in the box following a corner and Leahy stepped up and buried the ball in the right hand corner – sending Ripley the wrong way.

Two minutes before half time, Shrewsbury had an effort cleared off the line before Street put the ball away at the far post on the end of the resultant corner.

Morecambe did get a goal back however just before half time, with Crowley burying the ball in the bottom-right corner following a good ball in from Ryan Delaney.

Derek Adams’ side thought they’d equalised in the 64th minute when Farrend Rawson’s header on the end of a free kick went into the back of the net, but it was ruled out offside.

Six minutes later, Ripley did well to deny Dunkley’s effort with his legs but the 31-year-old defender did score later on with a strong header on the end of a corner.

Moments later, it could’ve been four when Rekeil Pyke slotted just wide from close range.

Nine minutes were added on due to numerous lengthy stoppages, and three minutes into injury time Jensen Weir’s long range shot went just wide of the mark.

Morecambe’s defence appeared to crumble after that and the visitors were very lucky not to concede four or even five. Substitute Ryan Bowman’s close range shot was saved, and then moments later he headed against the post.

The result sees Shrewsbury move up to eighth in the League 1 table while Morecambe remain 21st.

Talking points

Conceding from three set plays, simply not good enough

What’s lost us the game today is our incompetence at set plays. All three of Shrewsbury’s goals came from set plays today and we couldn’t do the basics right in these three goals. They were all poor goals to concede and man-marking was poor. Yes, we were unlucky to give away the first penalty although it was a penalty. That being said, we took our goal well and luck wasn’t on our side when it came to the Farrend Rawson’s goal being ruled out offside. There were some promising spells, especially early on and we were in the game for much of it but we must not concede from set pieces in the manner in which we did.

Some of our players didn’t show any fight or passion today

I don’t normally single players out for poor performances, but I thought Cole Stockton didn’t put any fight in today. He wasn’t showing the eagerness in chasing down balls, he was lazy, slow, and poor. Donald Love didn’t particularly have a good game either. We’re in a relegation battle for goodness sake! The team aren’t always playing like they care and it was poor.

I’m not optimistic about our chances of staying up

We’ve won once away from home all season and that came against bottom club Forest Green Rovers. A very very poor record. In stark contrast, we’ve got a good record at home but we’ve only picked up two points in our last three games. Not every result of the teams around us went our way today and it’s very tight at the bottom. We’ve got two home games coming up in Charlton Athletic and Oxford United and both of these are must-win, especially Oxford who are dropping like flies. I just can’t see where we’re picking up another win away from home though and that could prove very costly come May.

Shrewsbury Town: Marosi, Pennington, Dunkley, Flanagan, Moore, Winchester, Leahy, Shipley, Bayliss (Bennett 75), Pyke (Bowman 90), Street (Bloxham 90).

Booked: Moore, Leahy and Bayliss.

Subs not used: Burgoyne, Craig, Barlow.

Morecambe: Ripley, Rawson, Simeu, Delaney (Niasse 74), Love, Weir, Gibson, Shaw, Mayor, Crowley, Stockton.

Subs not used: Smith, Hunter, Gnahoua, Watts, Cooney, Austerfield.

Attendance: 6,913 (185 away)

Mainy’s Verdict: Morecambe and Bolton share points in entertaining goalless draw

Sky Bet League 1

Morecambe 0-0 Bolton Wanderers

What happened

Morecambe and Bolton Wanderers shared the points in a goalless draw at the Mazuma Stadium this afternoon.

The Shrimps made three changes from the side that lost to Fleetwood last week with Max Melbourne, Ash Hunter and Cole Stockton coming in for Adam Mayor, Michael Mellon and Arthur Gnahoua.

Bolton came very close just seven minutes in when Shola Shoretire’s close range shot was saved by the legs of Connor Ripley.

On 14 minutes, Morecambe came close when Farrend Rawson headed just over the bar on the end of Hunter’s pinpoint cross.

Moments later, the Shrimps really should’ve taken the lead when Jensen Weir got on the end of a good ball from Liam Gibson but his touch was too heavy and went straight into the hands of Wanderers ‘keeper James Trafford.

On 36 minutes, the hosts came incredibly close when Liam Shaw’s diving header on the end of Hunter’s cross went just wide.

On the brink of half time, Dion Charles nearly scored for the visitors but his well-driven shot was well saved by Ripley.

Bolton looked slightly better in the second half but clear-cut chances were few and far between. However, Weir forced Trafford into a good save on 69 minutes following a good ball from Hunter and two minutes later at the other end Josh Sheehan’s effort was well saved by Ripley.

Following the results of the later kick offs, the Shrimps dropped back into the relegation zone while Bolton remain in fourth.

Talking points

An entertaining stalemate

It was a very end to end game, and certainly not a dull 0-0 draw. Both sides played well and the game could’ve gone either way. There were a few questionable refereeing decisions but they didn’t affect the outcome of the game luckily. An entertaining game at the Mazuma.

An impressive showing from the Shrimps

In my view we just edged it and were the better side, and nearly did enough to win. There were some impressive individual performances with Farrend Rawson, Jacob Bedeau and Ash Hunter standing out for me. Rawson won nearly every aerial duel he was involved in, and Bedeau made some great tackles and some good runs going forward. Hunter put some outstanding balls into the box and made some great runs, and looked very energetic. It was just a shame we couldn’t get the win!

A big game coming up in the battle for survival

Up next we face fellow strugglers Cambridge United away from home on Tuesday night and we really need a win to break away from them. It’s a huge game and we need to put an end to our poor away form in order to stay up.

Morecambe: Ripley, Love, Rawson (Simeu 78), Bedeau, Melbourne, Gibson, Shaw, Crowley (Mayor 85), Weir (Watts 90), Hunter (Gnahoua 85), Stockton.

Booked: Shaw

Subs not used: Smith, Cooney, Austerfield.

Bolton Wanderers: Trafford, Toal, Santos, Mbete, Bradley, Morley, Sheehan (N’Lundulu 73), John (Williams 81), Dempsey, Charles, Shoretire (Kachunga 65).

Subs not used: Jones, Dixon, Lee and Thomason.

Attendance: 5,211 (1,626 away)

Mainy’s Verdict: Shrimps deserved a draw as they fall to Fleetwood defeat

Sky Bet League 1

Fleetwood Town 1-0 Morecambe

Mendes Gomes 13

What happened

A goal from former Morecambe man Carlos Mendes Gomes secured a 1-0 win for Fleetwood Town over the Shrimps in the Lancashire derby at Highbury today.

Against the run of play, Mendes Gomes volleyed home on the end of a great ball into the box by Jayden Stockley 13 minutes in.

Eight minutes later, Michael Mellon headed onto the bar on the end of Daniel Crowley’s cross and then moments later at the other end, Mendes Gomes took the ball off Arthur Gnahoua and his shot went just wide of the mark.

Four minutes before half time, Fleetwood could’ve doubled their lead when Shaun Rooney’s strike was cleared off the line.

Rooney then had a shot saved five minutes into the second half, but Morecambe nearly hit back on 57 minutes when Jensen Weir’s attempt on the end of a good ball in from Adam Mayor was blocked and out for a corner.

Substitute Ash Hunter was through on the right for the visitors six minutes later but his strike went straight at Fleetwood ‘keeper Jay Lynch.

Four minutes from time, there was a shout for a Morecambe penalty when a Fleetwood player appeared to handle the ball in the box but the referee waved away appeals.

The result sees Fleetwood move up to 11th in the League 1 table while the Shrimps remain in 20th.

Talking points

We were always in the game but couldn’t cut it in the final third

We started the game on the front foot and we did well on the ball, with some good passing moves. We had many advances going forward but just couldn’t cut it in the final third and that’s what lost us the game. Fleetwood took their first chance, while their ‘keeper Jay Lynch didn’t really have a save to make with us only having one shot on target which is really poor from us. It was just so frustrating to watch and with a well-established striker, which we were missing today, the result may have been different.

I was shocked that Fleetwood made the changes they did at half time

In my view, Fleetwood brought their two best players off at half time. I thought Carlos Mendes Gomes was always a threat and Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu made some strong tackles. It was good to see Gomes not celebrate when he scored against his former club and for our fans to show our respect to him and give him a round of applause as he made his way back to the halfway line. Obviously it was disappointing to see him score but I got the feeling it was always going to happen.

We should’ve had a penalty towards the end of the game

Four minutes from time there was a handball from a Fleetwood defender in the box, no doubt about that, but the question was whether the hand was in a natural position or not. From the naked eye it looked to be in a unnatural position but I haven’t seen it back and sadly it’s not on the Sky Sports highlights package. Obviously the referee had a better view but from where I was, it looked to be a penalty.

The Shrimps fans travelled in their numbers and it was a good atmosphere

We sold out our allocation and filled the away end, and whilst it was quite uncomfortable to stand behind the goal, we created a great atmosphere and it was a good day. Just a shame we didn’t get a result – I thought we deserved a draw!

Fleetwood Town: Lynch, Holgate, Nsiala, Sarpong-Wiredu (Andrew 45), Rooney, Vela, Warrington (Earl 90), Macadam, Patterson (Hayes 70), Stockley (Marriott 84), Mendes Gomes (Robertson 45).

Booked: Andrew and Hayes.

Subs not used: McMullan and Dolan.

Morecambe: Ripley, Love, Bedeau (Taylor 74), Rawson, Gibson (Melbourne 59), Weir (Simeu 85), Shaw, Gnahoua, Crowley, Mayor, Mellon (Hunter 59).

Booked: Love, Weir and Shaw.

Subs not used: Smith, Cooney and Austerfield.

Attendance: 4,550