Gillingham 2, Morecambe 1: Shrimps slip to second defeat in a week

Oliver slammed home a penalty 12 minutes from time after Danny Lloyd had been bundled over in the box to give the home side the three points.

The Shrimps, who recalled Adam Phillips, Callum Jones and Greg Leigh into the starting line up, got off to the worst possible start when they conceded after just five minutes from a free kick.

Anthony O'Connor was adjudged to have fouled Vadaine Oliver 25 yards out and Mustapha Carayol stepped up to hammer home the set piece through the Morecambe wall to beat Jokull Andresson to his right.

Stephen Robinson's side had had a warning just prior to the goal when Carayol slid a Ryan Jackson cross inches wide of the left hand post but from then the Shrimps settled into the game and played some neat football.

Arthur Gnahoua tested Jamie Cumming with a shot from the edge of the box after a good run in the box and Greg Leigh headed an Adam Phillips corner just wide.

The Shrimps were rewarded for their response on 25 minutes with a superb individual goal from Stockton. In an almost identical goal to the one he scored on the opening day of the season at Ipswich he too the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the area and set off on a mazy run before drilling a low shot past Cumming from the right hand side of the box.

From there Morecambe looked the better side and had a good claim for a penalty waved away when Adam Phillips was brought down on the edge of the box only for referee Tom Nield to wave the appeals away.

The second half started with Morecambe on the front foot. A Leigh cross from the left flew straight across the Gills's six yard box and just needed a touch and Sam Lavelle headed a Phillips corner into the side netting from a well worked set piece routine.

Wes McDonald and Stockton both fired efforts wide before the hour before the pattern of the game changed.

The home side brought on Lloyd and they began to look more threatening .

Home skipper Kyle Dempsey had a header blocked and Lloyd's low effort was parried by Morecambe goalkeeper Andresson as the hosts began to take control.

Lloyd then played a part in the game's major decision when he went down in the box for a penalty 12 minutes from time and Oliver slammed the ball home.

Morecambe brought on new signing Courtney Duffus to add to their attacking options but the home side managed the final stages of the game well.

Gillingham: Cumming, Jackson, Ehmer, Tucker, McKenzie, O'Keefe, Dempsey, Adshead (rep Lloyd 50), Reeves (rep Lee 62), Carayol, Oliver. Subs not used: Chapman, Lee, Bennett, Lintott, Akehurst.

Morecambe: Andresson, Cooney, Lavelle, O'Connor, Leigh, Diagouraga, Gnahoua, Jones (rep McLoughlin 68), Phillips (rep Duffus 80), McPake (rep McDonald 46), Stockton. Subs not used: Roche, Delaney, McCalmont, Wootton.

Ref: T Nield.

Att: 3,789.