Match report: Morecambe 1 Wycombe Wanderers 1

Morecambe had looked set for victory when the veteran broke the deadlock with nine minutes of normal time remaining against a Wycombe side chasing a play-off spot.

However, Jim Bentley’s players were pegged back when Adebayo Akinfenwa bundled home an equaliser with the 90-minute mark looming.

Bentley had made four changes to the side beaten at Exeter City seven days earlier.

Ellison, Peter Murphy, Lee Molyneux and Alex Whitmore were recalled with Aaron Wildig, Andrew Fleming and Antony Evans relegated to the bench, while injury ruled out Michael Duckworth altogether.

With the Shrimps seeking to end their home campaign with three points and Wanderers needing three points in their bid for a play-off place, the opening half was high on effort if low on quality.

Both sides had spells in the ascendancy but, while home keeper Danijel Nizic wasn’t forced into a first-half save, it was the opposite for Wanderers’ Jamal Blackman.

The on-loan Chelsea keeper made acrobatic saves to keep out efforts from Ellison, Michael Rose and Paul Mullin.

At the other end, Akinfenwa, Sam Saunders and Garry Thompson all failed to test Nizic with half-chances.

Their best opportunity fell to Akinfenwa midway through the half but he was wastefully off target from close range.

The second half began just as scrappily, though Mullin at least tried to inject some life into proceedings.

His direct running led to a booking for Wanderers’ defender Michael Harriman, while another run saw him tripped 20 yards out, though Molyneux’s free-kick was easily blocked.

Paul Hayes and Sean O’Nien fired wide for the visitors, who were left to rue their luck when Paris Cowan-Hall headed against the bar with 15 minutes left.

Having seen a header blocked by Harriman, Ellison was not to be denied on 81 minutes when he turned and fired home.

That was the cue for late Wycombe pressure with Akinfenwa’s sharp turn and shot forcing Nizic into his first save three minutes later.

The Shrimps’ keeper kept out an O’Nien shot but was powerless when Akinfenwa levelled the scores with time running out after a high ball into the box was not dealt with.

There was still time for Akinfenwa to head wide and Wanderers to send up keeper Jamal Blackman for a corner.

The ball was cleared and Ellison tried his luck from 65 yards, only for his effort to drift well wide of an empty net.

Morecambe: Nizic, Edwards, Whitmore, Winnard, McGowan (Wakefield 84), Kenyon, Murphy (Fleming 56), Rose, Molyneux, Mullin (Yawson 77), Ellison. Subs not used: Roche, Conlan, Wildig, Evans.

Wycombe Wanderers: Blackman, Harriman, Jombati, Pierre, Jacobson (Stewart 68), Bean, O’Nien, Saunders, Thompson (Weston 82), Akinfenwa, Hayes (Cowan-Hall 62). Subs not used: Richardson, Bloomfield, Southwell, Gape.

Referee: Darren Drysdale.

Attendance: 1,742.