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Chester pulled one back after the break through Laurence Wilson but never found the penetration to add to their second half efforts to get back into the game.

Morecambe started with an attacking formation, Michael Twiss and Aaron Taylor playing up front with Wayne Curtis sitting just behind.

But it was Chester who had the first clear chance after just a couple of minutes, Paul Linwood forcing a great double save from Barry Roche with a firm header on target from a Ryan Lowe free kick.

Morecambe's first sniff of a chance came from Neil Wainwright's low cross from the left with which Adam Yates just failed to connect and the ball was cleared.

But from the resultant corner, Twiss swung it in and young Taylor did what he does best, rising at the near post to direct a header past John Danby to give Morecambe the lead after 14 minutes.

Chester rallied after the game and Kevin Ellison got the ball into the net with a glancing header only to see the offside flag raised.

Another Wainwright cross should have brought a second after 27 minutes but Stewart Drummond failed to make a clean contact with the ball as it dropped to him at the far post just two yards out.

But it didn't take much longer for the Shrimps to double their lead, the second came on 32 minutes after another weaving run down the left from Wainwright.

It ended with the winger cutting the ball back and, when it wasn't cleared properly, Curtis was following up to slam it home from 15 yards.

Dave Artell was looking up for the battle against the club that released him a couple of seasons ago and the big centre-back had to be alert to head off the line after Roche fluffed his attempt to collect the ball from a free-kick.

Roche was again helped out, this time by Drummond, who cleared when the keeper flapped at the resultant corner.

As half-time approached, Curtis hit his second to make it three with a stunning strike from the edge of the box from Taylor's neat knock down.

Young striker Taylor got the chance to add to his goals this season returning up front to replace Matty Blinkhorn, who suffered a knee injury in Tuesday night's game against Lincoln.

Gary Hunter and Wayne Curtis also came in as replacements for other injury victims, Craig Stanley and Fraser McLachlan.

There were no signs of any new signings following the lifting of Morecambe's transfer embargo by the Football League this week.

Morecambe: Roche, Yates, Artell, Bentley, Adams, Wainwright, Drummond, Hunter, Twiss, Curtis, Taylor. Subs: Davies, Howe, O'Carroll, McStay, Bell.

Chester City: Danby, Roberts, Wilson, Linwood, Barry, Lowe, Ellison, Mannix, Harris, Vaughan (Jones 36), Rule. Subs: Smith, Rutherford, Platt, Owen.

Booked: Rule, Harris.