Morecambe 1 Cambridge United 1: Shrimps pegged back as honours end even

Adam Phillips had given the Shrimps the lead early in the second half with his third goal in four appearances for the club.

However, they were pegged back when Harvey Knibbs levelled midway through the second period to ensure honours ended even.

Shrimps’ boss Derek Adams had made two changes to the team beaten 4-1 at Northampton Town last time out.

Blackpool loanee Christoffer Mafoumbi made his debut in goal ahead of Mark Halstead, while George Tanner’s departure meant a recall for Luke Conlan.

There was also a place on the bench for the Shrimps’ sixth January signing, central defender Christian Mbulu.

The home side began brightly with Cole Stockton flashing a shot across the face of goal and Steve Old looping a header over the bar.

After that beginning, the visitors got back into the game with the Shrimps seemingly content to sit back and let them have most of the ball.

Paul Lewis had a shot deflected behind, while Harry Darling fired well off target with an ambitious 35-yarder.

The closest either side came to scoring in the first half came when a corner wasn’t cleared, the ball eventually finding Jack Roles, whose shot was kept out well by Mafoumbi.

Roles sent a dipping free-kick over the bar and Darling fired over when unmarked before an underwhelming first half eventually drew to a close.

Sixty-one seconds after the break and the deadlock was broken.

Jordan Slew cut in from the left-hand side and saw his shot blocked, the ball eventually rebounding to Phillips who slammed the ball into the roof of the net.

As with the first half, however, the Shrimps began to drop back and invite pressure onto themselves.

Liam O’Neil fired off target from distance, Lewis headed across goal rather than at it, while Mafoumbi gathered the ball after Roles attempted to catch him out with a long-range free-kick.

That pressure eventually told with an equaliser when Darling’s header was blocked with Knibbs first to the loose ball to finish emphatically.

Then, out of nothing, the Shrimps almost retook the lead with 20 minutes remaining.

Carlos Mendes-Gomes broke and played in Stockton, who muscled his way past Greg Taylor and somehow fired wide of the far post.

Stockton and Ryan Cooney were well off target with speculative attempts as both sides freshened up their line-ups.

One of Morecambe’s replacements, A-Jay Leitch-Smith, came closest to a winner in the 89th minute when, having worked half-a-yard of space, his curling effort was kept out by a flying save from Dimitar Mitov.

Morecambe: Mafoumbi, Cooney, Lavelle, Old, Conlan, Kenyon (Wildig 73), Diagouraga, Phillips (Brewitt 79), Mendes-Gomes, Stockton, Slew (Leitch-Smith 85). Subs not used: Halstead, Sutton, Mbulu.

Cambridge United: Mitov, Knoyle, Taylor, Darling, Dunk (Jones 90), O’Neil (Hannant 86), Lewis, Maris, Roles (El Mizouni 86), Knibbs, Adeboyejo. Subs not used: Burton, Taft, Davies, Lambe.

Referee: Carl Boyeson.

Attendance: 2,019.