10 of best wins from Football League years

Fast forward a decade and, despite facing clubs with much larger attendances and budgets, Sammy McIlroy and Jim Bentley have consolidated their status as a League Two club.

With the last 10 years in mind, we have picked out 10 of the club’s most notable league victories in that time….

Morecambe 3 
Mansfield Town 1 (August 25, 2007)

After starting their Football League life with a home draw against Barnet and a defeat at Wrexham, it was third time lucky for the Shrimps. They took a fifth minute lead when Garry Thompson’s cross was fumbled into his own net by Mansfield keeper Jason White.

The Stags pegged them back five minutes before the break when a clearance from Joe Lewis struck Michael Boulding and rebounded into the net.

However, they retook the lead with half-time approaching as Craig Stanley found the net before Carl Baker’s second-half penalty ensured three points.

Morecambe 5 Rotherham 1 (March 29, 2008)

Jon Newby’s only season with the Shrimps yielded six league goals, three of which came in one game.

Matty Blinkhorn had headed them into a seventh minute lead before Newby opened his account moments later.

He netted his second to make it 3-0 before Mark Hudson pulled a goal back for the visitors 10 minutes before half-time.

A header completed Newby’s hat-trick on 42 minutes before Craig Stanley completed the scoring with 18 minutes left.

Morecambe 5 Bournemouth 0 (December 12, 2009)

A couple of years before the takeover which has helped their climb up the pyramid, Bournemouth were swept aside at Christie Park.

Three goals in 10 first-half minutes set the Shrimps on their way to a seventh consecutive league victory.

Stewart Drummond volleyed them into a 15th minute lead, followed by further first-half goals from Craig Stanley and Lawrence Wilson.

Bournemouth’s Marvin Bartley was sent off before the break, after which Phil Jevons’ penalty and Mark Duffy’s fine strike rounded off a successful day.

Morecambe 4 Crewe Alexandra 3 (April 2, 2010)

Good Friday became a Great Friday as the Shrimps netted three times in the closing stages to earn the unlikeliest of victories.

Joel Grant and Shaun Miller fired Crewe into a 2-0 half-time lead after which Phil Jevons halved the deficit on 53 minutes.

Ten minutes later and Clayton Donaldson made it 3-1 before Andy Parrish was sent off for the Shrimps and Barry Roche kept out a Miller penalty.

Wayne Curtis’ 87th minute header made it 3-2, Paul Mullin equalised on 92 minutes and then David Artell’s header clinched victory.

Morecambe 2 Dagenham and Redbridge 1 (May 20, 2010)

The last game at Christie Park was always going to be an emotional evening, irrespective of whether anything rode on it.

In this case, it was the second leg of a play-off semi-final which, barring a miracle of Biblical proportions, was already out of Morecambe’s reach after losing 6-0 in the first leg.

It took 80 minutes for the first goal to arrive as Mark Duffy volleyed Morecambe in front, only for Paul Benson to equalise within five minutes.

David Artell wrote his name in the history books by heading home the last goal as the Shrimps said goodbye and prepared to launch a new era.

Morecambe 5 Stockport 0 (November 2, 2010)

It may not have been the Shrimps’ first victory at the Globe Arena but it was a comprehensive one against a Stockport County side relegated from League One the season before. They had a man advantage from the eighth minute onwards when Jake Simpson was sent off for handball and Phil Jevons netted the resulting penalty.

Jim Bentley’s header just past the half-hour doubled the lead before Jevons’ close-range finish made it 3-0 at half-time.

A strike from the edge of the area completed Jevons’ hat-trick before Scott Brown’s deflected effort completed the scoring.

Morecambe 6 Crawley Town 0 (September 10, 2011)

Jim Bentley’s seventh league game as Morecambe manager brought the club’s biggest Football League victory.

Danny Carlton fired them into a ninth minute lead before Nick Fenton’s header doubled that advantage at the break.

Four goals in 22 second-half minutes then secured victory with Carlton guiding home Jason Price’s cross and Kevin Ellison scoring from close range.

Carlton made it 5-0 after completing his hat-trick on 72 minutes before Lawrence Wilson’s penalty ensured it was six of the best.

Morecambe 4 Chesterfield 3 (October 5, 2013)

This was another three points gained by the Shrimps which, if you were being generous, could have been described as ‘unlikely’.

They were three goals down at half-time before four second-half goals gave them victory against a Spireites side who would end the campaign as League Two champions.

Chesterfield seemed to be cruising to victory as Eoin Doyle’s brace and Gary McSheffrey’s goal put them 3-0 up on 23 minutes. Kevin Ellison, Mark Hughes and Jack Sampson got Morecambe on level terms before Padraig Amond sealed the fightback with an 86th minute winner.

Burton Albion 0 Morecambe 2 (October 18, 2014)

Two goals in two minutes ensured another victory against a side who would end the season as champions of League Two.

Kevin Ellison played a key role in ensuring the Shrimps made it back-to-back away wins following three points at Southend United a fortnight earlier.

Ellison opened the scoring on 59 minutes when he netted his sixth goal of the season with a strike from eight yards.

Two minutes later and Alex Kenyon secured victory, netting after Ellison’s initial attempt was kept out by Albion keeper Jon McLaughlin.

Morecambe 2 Plymouth Argyle 1 (November 26, 2016)

With Diego Lemos’ takeover of the club beginning to unravel at pace, the Shrimps gained three points against an Argyle side who finish the season with promotion.

Jim Bentley’s players had gone into the game on the back of a club record seven straight home league losses.

However, they were more than worthy winners as midfield duo Michael Rose and Peter Murphy netted against an Argyle side who saw Jordan Slew sent off thanks to two yellow cards.

A deserved victory could have been even more emphatic with three efforts hitting the Plymouth woodwork and other good chances spurned.

The Shrimps will now be hoping to add to the list, starting against Cheltenham on Saturday.