Colchester 1 Morecambe 3: JJ the hero for 10-man Shrimps in away victory

McKiernan capped a fine performance by taking the match ball in a game that saw James Connolly receive a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident with home striker Samson Tovide in the 37th minute.

Morecambe boss Derek Adams was forced into two changes from the side that drew with Accrington in midweek, with Jake Taylor and Eli King both ruled out through injury, meaning recalls for Adam Mayor and Donald Love.

And it was the Shrimps who started the game on the front foot with Mayor denied a good penalty claim on three minutes after being bundled over by Jay MIngi.

One minute later Jordan Slew hit the post after being played in down the left by Michael Mellon and the Shrimps' striker went close himself shortly afterwards with a shot from Tom Bloxham's cross that curled inches wide.

Mayor was the next to to go close after racing onto a fine ball over the top by Joel Senior but stabbing an effort just wide of the target.

The pressure finally paid off with a deserved opening goal on 21 minutes. Mayor swung over a right-wing corner and McKiernan was left alone in the box to direct a header into the top left-hand corner of Owen Goodman's goal.

The Shrimps continued to look the more threatening until the 37th minute when Connolly was sent off after tangling with Davide.

That decision gave the home side a lift with Joe Taylor breaking through and forcing Stuart Moore into a good save. Cameron McGeehan and Noah Chilvers then dragged efforts wide as the Shrimps held on to take the lead into the break.

Against the odds, it was Morecambe who looked the more dangerous as McKiernan scored two goals in quick succession.

His second came on 54 minutes when another Mayor corner caused the home defence problems and Yann Songo'o laid the ball in his path for a cool finish form six yards.

He claimed his hat-trick with a fine individual goal just after the hour as he ran from the halfway line to the edge of the box and drilled a superb low shot into the bottom right-hand corner of Goodman's goal.

The U's pulled one back on 73 minutes when McGeehan headed home a loose ball from close range to produce a few nerves in the Morecambe camp.

Those nerves were increased when Colchester were awarded a penalty in injury time when Songo'o was harshly adjudged to have handled in the box but Chilvers blazed the ball over from the spot as the Shrimps claimed a fine win.

Colchester: Goodman, Egbo, Mitchell (Cooper 65), Hall, Fevrier, McGeehan, Chilvers, Mingi (Ihionvien 57), Kazeem (Bandira 82), Tovide (Hopper 65), Taylor. Subs not used: Smith, Greenidge, Kennedy.

Morecambe: Moore, Senior, Bedeau, Connolly, Tutonda, Love, McKiernan, Mayor (Davenport 87), Bloxham (Songo'o 44), Mellon (Walker 72), Slew (Rawson 44). Subs not used: A Smith, Brown.

Ref: S Purkiss.

Att: 3,350.