Lincoln City 3, Morecambe 1: Shrimps beaten by League Two leaders

Morecambe suffered a second successive away defeat as a poor first half display proved costly against new League Two leaders Lincoln City.

The Shrimps shipped three first half goals against the impressive Imps and could not find their way back on the game despite much better second half showing that saw them pull back a late, but deserved, consolation goal.

Jim Bentley named the same side that drew 1-1 with Port Vale last weekend but they were soon undone by a team desperate to take advantage of title rivals MK Dons’ game being abandoned.

Lincoln were quickly out of the blocks and took the lead after just seven minutes with a well worked goal. Harry Toffolo and Tom Pett shared passes down the left hand side down before Toffolo put in the perfect cross for the excellent Harry Anderson to steer the ball past Mark Halstead from eight yards out.

The Shrimps hit back and began to cause the home side a few problems with Steven Old almost making advantage of a mistake by home keeper Grant Smith who dropped Jordan Cranston’s cross but the ball fell just out of the onrushing defender’s reach

The comeback was halted by a second for the home side with a controversial penalty on 32 minutes when former Accrington Stanley striker Shay McCartan went over in the box under the challenge of Alex Kenyon and the referee pointed to the spot.

It was definitely a soft penalty and it gave John Akinde the perfect chance to double the home side’s advantage as he sent Halstead the wrong way from 12 yards.

If that goal was soft the third goal was pretty special four minutes later. Sam Lavelle gave away a free kick in a dangerous position with a reckless challenge on McCartan a couple of yards outside the Morecambe box.

Experience central defender Jason Shackell step forward to take it and he hammered the ball into the roof of the net for his fourth goal of the season.

To their credit Morecambe kept going and were rewarded for their efforts when they pulled a goal back with ten minutes left as a wonderful cross from substitute Rhys Oates was slotted home by Ellison at the far post.

With three minutes remaining, McCartan almost repeated Shackell’s earlier brilliance, but his free-kick bounced off the top of the Morecambe bar as Lincoln made sure there were no more slip ups to take the points that took them to top spot.

Lincoln City: Smith, Eardley (rep Wilson 49), Shackell, Bostwick, Toffolo, Pett, Freclington, O’Connor (rep Wharton 80), Anderson, McCartan, Akinde (rep Green 73) Subs not used: Slocombe, Gordon, Rhead, Mensah.

Morecambe: Halstead, Yarney, Old, Lavelle, Conlan, Cranston, Kenyon (rep Wildig 70), Mandeville (rep Oates 58), Leitch-Smith (rep Oates 58), Ellison, Oswell. Subs not used: Roche, Thompson, Oliver, Hedley, Mendes-Gomes.

Ref: S Stockbridge

Att: 7,975