Morecambe 2019/20 season review: An early end to the Shrimps' campaign

With the 2020/21 season kicking off on Saturday – and Morecambe having been out of action since early March – we have spent the last few weeks taking a month-by-month look back at the 2019/20 campaign.
Morecambe's trip to Newport County AFC in March would prove their last game of the seasonMorecambe's trip to Newport County AFC in March would prove their last game of the season
Morecambe's trip to Newport County AFC in March would prove their last game of the season

The final chapter in our season review takes in February and March, when performances weren’t backed up by results – before a sudden end to the campaign...

Morecambe had gone into February buoyed by the win at Walsall which brought down the curtain on January.

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However, the month began with a 2-1 defeat at Cheltenham Town.

Morecambe started the game on the front foot with Cole Stockton drilling a shot inches over before Jordan Cranston sent a shot just wide.

Cheltenham were kept quiet until they were gifted a penalty on 32 minutes when Cranston felled Luke Varney and Conor Thomas scored from the spot.

It was soon 2-0 as Toumani Diagouraga played a loose pass and Alfie May ran on to the ball before firing past Christoffer Mafoumbi.

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The Shrimps came out strongly in the second half with Adam Phillips firing over from a tight angle, though May hit the post at the other end.

After that let-off, the Shrimps then took charge as Sam Lavelle headed against the post before A-Jay Leitch-Smith’s clinical finish six minutes from time set up a frantic finale.

Leitch-Smith then hit the crossbar with an overhead kick and Stockton’s shot was cleared off the line by Ben Tozer as the Shrimps were foiled by a desperate home defence.

Seven days later and the Shrimps welcomed Mansfield Town for the first of two home games in four days.

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They drew 1-1 with Mansfield as Alex Kenyon’s late goal cancelled out Joe Riley’s opener for the visitors.

The Shrimps struggled to create much in the way of genuine first-half chances with the final ball too often lacking.

At the other end, the visitors had the best chance of the half when Kelland Watts’ header was kept out by the advancing Mafoumbi.

The second half began promisingly for the Shrimps but, again, they failed to test the keeper before Mansfield stepped up a gear with Ryan Sweeney seeing a shot cleared off the line.

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The deadlock was broken on the hour when Krystian Pearce met Mal Benning’s free-kick, and though Mafoumbi saved the initial header, he couldn’t hold onto the ball and Riley bundled it home.

It was almost 2-0 but Nicky Maynard headed wide from Riley’s cross – and was punished for his generosity in the 85th minute.

Cranston sent in a corner from the right-hand side and Kenyon got ahead of his marker to find the net.

One point almost became three during the five minutes of added time as Jordan Slew should have scored, only to be thwarted by Bobby Olejnik.

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The keeper also used his foot to keep out Phillips’ attempt, seconds before a last-ditch clearance took the ball away from Steve Old.

Macclesfield Town were the next visitors the following midweek as the Shrimps claimed a 2-0 win in blustery conditions.

First-half goals from Diagouraga and Aaron Wildig saw the Shrimps leapfrog their visitors in the table and move eight points clear of bottom club Stevenage.

The first chance fell on nine minutes when Stockton saw his shot pushed away by Jonathan Mitchell.

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Kenyon’s dipping shot went over but the respite was temporary as Morecambe took an 18th-minute lead.

A long throw into the box wasn’t cleared by the visitors and Diagouraga lashed home the loose ball.

Phillips should have scored just after the half-hour when Diagouraga sent him through, only to put his shot into the side netting.

It was 2-0 10 minutes before half-time but, from the visitors’ point of view, it came in a contentious fashion.

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They were convinced a throw-in should have been theirs, only for the decision to go Morecambe’s way.

The resulting throw reached Wildig, whose shot took a wicked deflection and wrongfooted Mitchell.

Macclesfield were forced into a game of containment before they could enjoy the benefit of the conditions.

Their only real chance in the first half had fallen to Arthur Gnahoua, who scooped a shot over when he should have hit the target.

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With the conditions in their favour after the break, the visitors saw Ben Tollitt head over, Connor Kirby shoot wide and Danny Whitehead’s effort fumbled to safety by Mafoumbi.

Donovan Wilson saw a header easily collected by Mafoumbi, who had to push over Kirby’s long-range attempt as the Shrimps claimed three points.

However, they were unable to follow it up at Grimsby Town the following Saturday, losing 2-1 for a 12th away defeat of the season.

Stockton forced James McKeown into a flying save inside the opening two minutes, though at the other end, Mafoumbi made good stops from Charles Vernam and Luke Hendrie.

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Wildig drilled a 20-yarder inches wide and Phillips looped an effort over from the edge of the box as the first half ended goalless.

Vernam had an effort cleared off the line by Ryan Cooney before Grimsby were gifted the opening goal.

Billy Clarke played the ball forward and James Hanson reacted quickly to the situation as Mafoumbi hesitated, lifting the ball over the keeper.

Josh Benson made it 2-0 with a free-kick that deflected off the top of the wall before finding the net via the underside of the bar.

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To the Shrimps’ credit they came back strongly and scored in stoppage time when McKeown was penalised for handling a back pass and Phillips smashed home the resulting free-kick.

Another away day took place seven days later with a 2-2 draw at Carlisle United, where the Shrimps squandered a two-goal lead.

The opener came in the 18th minute when the ball fell to Stockton, who turned smartly before drilling a low shot past Adam Collin.

Six minutes later, the home side failed to convincingly clear a corner and Wildig sent a superb volley past Collin.

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Carlisle, to their credit, did not let their heads drop and they began to have the better of the game.

Mafoumbi denied Nathan Thomas and Lewis Alessandra but the pressure paid off in first-half injury time.

Slew’s poor clearance gave the home side possession and Byron Webster’s diagonal ball caught out Cooney, giving Omari Patrick the chance to curl an excellent shot home.

They levelled on 66 minutes when Elliot Watts’ corner was headed home by Aaron Hayden, who had too much space.

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Carlisle could have completed their comeback with three points but Patrick spurned a close-range header and Webster missed the target when well placed.

Morecambe’s final home game of the season was at the end of February as they drew 1-1 with Crewe Alexandra.

The first half ended goalless despite Chris Porter hitting the post and Mafoumbi denying Charlie Kirk, while Wildig had a header well saved by Crewe keeper Will Jaaskelainen, who also denied Slew.

Crewe took the lead early in the second half when a corner drifted to the far post for Perry Ng to finish emphatically.

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Needing to get back on level terms, the Shrimps saw Carlos Mendes-Gomes hit the bar before Wildig headed in his third goal in four matches.

Crewe ought to have led again but Stephen Walker struck the woodwork before lashing another chance off target.

There was still time for the visitors to break from a Morecambe corner, only for Phillips’ cynical challenge to result in a red card and some less than edifying behaviour from Crewe boss David Artell.

The start of March saw Morecambe on their travels again with a trip to Newport County AFC bringing a 1-0 defeat on a poor playing surface.

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A goalless first half saw Mafoumbi save Matty Dolan’s free-kick, while at the other end, Diagouraga was unable to bundle home Slew’s pass.

Mafoumbi came closest to scoring when Newport keeper Tom King misjudged his clearance and had to save at full stretch.

The only goal came midway through the half when Mafoumbi parried a cross to the edge of the box, where Dale Gorman lobbed the ball back into the goal.

Morecambe subs Rhys Oates and Harvey Bradbury came close to levelling as the day ended in defeat.

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Six days later, and with the Shrimps preparing for Plymouth Argyle’s visit, the season was suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Barring those sides in the play-offs once the points-per-game method was used, it meant League Two was over.

However, any disappointment was firmly put in perspective at the end of May when Christian Mbulu passed away; the most tragic of chapters in the story of Morecambe’s season....