Scunthorpe United 3 Morecambe 1: Shrimps fail to back up weekend point
Morecambe suffered an eighth National League defeat of the season as they were beaten by Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park on Tuesday evening.
Although the Shrimps made an excellent start, quickfire goals towards the end of the first half from Callum Roberts and Danny Whitehall gave the Iron the advantage.
Ben Tollitt’s second-half strike gave Morecambe hope but some sloppy defending allowed Tyrrell Sellars-Fleming the chance to secure the points.
Morecambe began well and looked the better side as they put Scunthorpe on the back foot for long periods, only for several good opportunities to be wasted.
Rolando Aarons missed an open goal before Gwion Edwards spurned a great chance on 34 minutes as he ran through and looked to lob keeper Rory Watson, who saved at full stretch.
That proved costly as the game then burst into life, Whitehall hitting the post as the home side threatened for the first time and Alfie Beestin then forcing Archie Mair into a neat save from a close-range header.
The Iron then took the lead on 40 minutes when Roberts produced a neat, curling finish from just inside the box.
Morecambe were undone again two minutes later as Whitehall’s superb 25-yard free-kick beat Mair.
Will Evans had the second half’s first opportunity, Mair saving his 30-yarder before Beestin failed to find the target.
The Shrimps pulled one back with 20 minutes left after some flowing football ended with Tollitt’s convincing finish from Jake Cain’s cross.
Their comeback was, however, shortlived with Sellars-Fleming making the most of Maldini Kacurri’s sloppy pass and arrowing a low shot past Mair on 77 minutes.
On a night when their lack of a clinical finish proved costly, Morecambe then wasted a string of great chances as Jack Nolan missed the target, Cain fired over when he should have done better and substitute Harry Panayiotou failed to score from close range in added time.
Scunthorpe United: Watson, Starbuck, Belehouan, Evans, Denton (Horton 71), Roberts, Beestin (Scales 64). Ewing (Westbrook 63), Rowley, Whitehall (Dawson 79), Howe (Sellars-Fleming 71). Subs not used: Chadwick, Ubaezuono.
Morecambe: Mair, Payne, Kacurri, Francillette, Cain, Azeez, Edwards (Nolan 59), Dixon-Bonner (Songo’o 59), Thomas (Sutton 71), Aarons (Raikhy 72), Tollitt (Panayiotou 83). Subs not used: Ascroft, Sesay.
Referee: James Oldham.
Attendance: 4,126.