Match report: Coventry City 0 Morecambe 0 - Shrimps survive on the final day

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The keeper made three top-drawer saves as the Shrimps held out at the expense of Barnet, who were relegated on goal difference despite beating Chesterfield.

Morecambe boss Jim Bentley had made three changes to their starting XI, seven days on from their defeat against Barnet.

In came Andy Fleming, Gregg Wylde and Aaron Wildig at the expense of Alex Kenyon, Adam Campbell and Callum Lang.

Coincidental or not, Morecambe began well and played some good passing football, albeit without the final ball required in the final third.

At the other end, Coventry threatened with Jordan Shipley and Tom Bayliss looking especially dangerous.

Roche was first called into action on six minutes, tipping over Michael Doyle’s 20-yarder.

If that was a stunning save in its own right, it paled in comparison to the one which kept Morecambe on level terms six minutes before half-time.

Shipley raced into the Shrimps’ area with the ball across finding Jonson Clarke-Harris but, somehow, Roche got down to his right-hand side and kept out the close-range effort.

Clarke-Harris and Coventry full-back Chris Stokes sent attempts off target while the closest Morecambe came was when Wildig’s cross was cleared by Tom Davies’ outstretched leg with Adam McGurk waiting to pounce.

They went closer six minutes into the second half when Wildig sent Kevin Ellison into the Coventry area, where he shot into the side netting – though his vociferous protests made it clear he thought keeper Lee Burge had made a save.

However, the second half was a much scrappier affair than the first with the home side initially labouring in possession.

They finally rose from their slumbers going into the final quarter-hour with Morecambe indebted to Roche.

This time, Bayliss got away from Fleming and Ellison before racing to the edge of the box, only for Roche to save his low shot.

Moments later and Clarke-Harris was again off target, this time getting underneath Liam Kelly’s cross and heading over.

With the Coventry fans becoming increasingly restless at their side’s lack of cutting edge, it became a case of Morecambe holding onto what they had.

They did so with aplomb, seeing out two minutes of added time to get the result they required.

Coventry City: Burge, Grimmer, Davies, Hyam, Stokes, Doyle, Kelly, Shipley (Reid 56), Bayliss, Clarke-Harris (Biamou 80), McNulty. Subs not used: O’Brien, McDonald, Maguire-Drew, Haynes, Ponticelli.

Morecambe: Roche, McGowan, Lavelle, Old, Conlan, Fleming, Rose, Wylde, Wildig (Kenyon 82), Ellison, McGurk (Lang 77). Subs not used: Nizic, Brough, Campbell, Lund, Muller.

Referee: Andy Davies.

Attendance: 15,874.