Morecambe 2019/20 season review: New manager's first league win but a losing end to the year

With a decision now made as to the starting date for the 2020/21 season – and Morecambe having been out of action since early March – we thought we’d take a month-by-month look back at 2019/20.
Morecambe celebrate John O'Sullivan's winner against Newport County AFCMorecambe celebrate John O'Sullivan's winner against Newport County AFC
Morecambe celebrate John O'Sullivan's winner against Newport County AFC

This week, we go back to December which was to prove a very mixed month...

Morecambe had gone into December bottom of League Two and on the back of a five-goal loss at Crewe Alexandra.

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For good measure, they would be without skipper Sam Lavelle for much of the month as his red card at Crewe brought a four-game ban with it being his second dismissal of the season.

The month opened with Carlisle United making the trip to Morecambe for the Shrimps’ first game in a fortnight, having had a week off thanks to their early FA Cup exit.

Derek Adams’ first home league game in charge of the Shrimps ended with a 1-1 draw as John O’Sullivan cancelled out Hallam Hope’s goal.

Aaron Wildig had shot straight at Carlisle keeper Adam Collin and Nathan Thomas had a shot deflected into the side-netting for the visitors as the first half ended goalless.

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Eighty seconds after the break, however, it was Thomas’ pass which enabled Hope to get behind Ritchie Sutton and score.

Parity was restored on 50 minutes when O’Sullivan headed in after Wildig sliced his shot across the face of goal.

Jon Mellish cleared another O’Sullivan effort off the line and Wildig headed wide when well placed as honours ended even.

A week later, Morecambe made the long trip to face one of Adams’ former clubs, Plymouth Argyle, where they were beaten 3-0.

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The damage was done by two goals late in the first half as well as a red card for Sutton.

Plymouth forced a number of early corners and chances with Antoni Sarcevic denied by Mark Halstead and Danny Mayor hitting the woodwork.

At the other end, A-Jay Leitch-Smith was thwarted by Argyle keeper Alex Palmer and spurned another chance when he missed his kick.

Ironically, it was just as Morecambe were making an impact that the game changed.

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With 43 minutes gone, Plymouth launched a long ball forward and Dom Telford’s pace proved too hot for Sutton, who ended up bringing him down on the edge of the box to earn himself a red card.

To make matters worse, George Cooper clipped the resulting free-kick over the wall to give Argyle the lead.

There was worse to come moments later, however, when the Shrimps went 2-0 down.

In the second minute of stoppage time, Joel Grant went down in a tussle with Kenyon and Sarcevic sent Halstead the wrong way from the spot-kick.

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After the break, Cooper’s free-kick was diverted inches wide by the wall, though the Shrimps saw Lewis Alessandra’s shot well blocked by Palmer.

Plymouth went close again when Zak Rudden missed the target from close range but they scored again late on when Conor Grant slotted home.

Nevertheless, the Shrimps’ camp got the ideal early Christmas present a week later with Adams’ first league victory in charge.

They saw off Newport County AFC 2-1 in what proved the proverbial game of two halves.

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A truly awful first-half display had seen the Shrimps trail to Joss Labadie’s contentious 14th-minute opener.

However, a revitalised Morecambe side roared back in the second period with Cole Stockton equalising before a stunning team move ended with O’Sullivan netting the winner.

Jamille Matt headed wide of the home goal after only 22 seconds, while Josh Sheehan’s effort was blocked before the deadlock was broken.

Labadie curled an effort against the underside of the bar with the ball deemed over the line by assistant referee Anthony Moore.

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Matt saw a penalty appeal go unrewarded before seeing another effort blocked by Halstead as Newport led at the break.

Morecambe introduced Stockton and Kevin Ellison at the break – and flew out of the traps in the second half .

Leitch-Smith was foiled three times by keeper Nik Townsend, who also pushed Carlos Mendes-Gomes’ cross-cum-shot onto the top of the bar.

Steve Old’s header was cleared off the line before Morecambe levelled on 68 minutes as Stockton turned and fired home despite Townsend getting a hand to the ball.

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Twelve minutes later, Kenyon won the ball on the edge of his own penalty area, triggering a five-man move that ended with O’Sullivan sweeping a shot past Townsend to secure victory.

However, the remainder of the year brought something of a festive hangover with back-to-back defeats.

The first of those came on Boxing Day when Oldham Athletic left the Globe Arena with a 2-1 victory in a game where mistakes at both ends of the pitch proved costly.

Halstead made a fine save to thwart Jonny Smith but his error enabled the visitors to take the lead on the half-hour.

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The keeper saved Filipe Morais’ shot from distance, only to push the ball straight into the path of Desire Segbe Azankpo and he slotted home from three yards.

The closest Morecambe came in the first half was when Luke Conlan’s 30-yard free-kick crashed against the top of the bar.

Nevertheless, they levelled within two minutes of the restart when Leitch-Smith controlled a long ball and teed up Mendes-Gomes to slot under Zeus de la Paz.

Stockton blazed wildly over but Oldham came close themselves when Scott Wilson struck the outside of the post.

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The Latics would not be denied as they took the lead 15 minutes from time when Smith’s shot was blocked but the ball fell perfectly for Mohamad Sylla to score from six yards.

Smith almost made it 3-1 with a superb effort that hit the top of the bar before the Shrimps staged a late rally that saw them have the ball in the back of the net four minutes from time, only to see Kenyon’s close-range effort ruled out for offside.

That defeat was followed up three days later with a 1-0 loss at Cambridge United to end the year.

The first half ended goalless with few chances, Ellison volleying over for Morecambe while George Tanner cleared off the line from Marc Richards at the other end.

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After a goalless first half, the home side began the second period on the front foot and took the lead on 57 minutes.

On-loan Spurs midfielder Jack Roles was allowed to run to the edge of the area and fire a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

They went close again when Richards saw a header cleared off the line by Kenyon and Paul Lewis headed inches over before Morecambe staged a late rally.

Cambridge keeper Callum Burton was forced to save at the second attempt after fumbling a cross, while O’Sullivan and Leitch-Smith saw shots well blocked.

Next week: January’s mixed bag of results as Morecambe overhaul their squad in the transfer window....