Shrimps ease to fine away victory over Welshmen
Morecambe bounced back from their disappointing FA Cup defeat with victory at Merthyr Town.
Goals from Paul Lewis, Taelor O’Kane and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts gave the Shrimps only their second away win of the season and their first since August on their travels.
In a game played in atrocious conditions the Shrimps played some neat football on the artificial surface and had the better of the opening period.
Joe Garner saw an effort superbly blocked by defender Lloyd Humphries and Matty Daley volleyed just wide before the latter missed a golden chance on 13 minutes when he blazed an effort over the bar after a flowing move.
Cameron Coxe sliced a shot wide and O'Kane saw an effort cleared off the line by Ben Margetson before the home side began to cause problems themselves.
Lively winger Sam Pearson forced Myles Boney to tip over a dipping long range effort and Will Spiers went close to opening the scoring with a wind assisted cross from the right hand side that hit the top of the Shrimps' crossbar with Boney stranded.
The vital opening goal came on 37 minutes as Lewis ran on to Elliot Newby's lay off and placed a shot through the legs of home keeper Jaimie Cogman for his third of the season.
The home side hit back with some nice football of their own as Spiers produced a perfect cross into the Morecambe box which Cole Jarvis volleyed over from eight yards out.
Merthyr continued to threaten at the start of the second half and pulled one back on 57 minutes as Jarvis made no mistake this time as he met a dangerous Kieran Evans free kick and placed the ball past Boney.
Four minutes later the Shrimps were indebted to Boney for keeping the scores level as he superbly saved a Pearson shot low down to his right after a well worked move.
That save seemed to shake the Shrimps into action and they took charge of the game again. Liam Hogan went close with an effort that hit the post before O'Kane marked his full Shrimps' debut with a goal on 72 minutes as he turned home the loose ball from close range.
Merthyr hit back again with Pearon striking the crossbar with a shot from distance and Japhet Matondo blazing over from a good opening before substitute Buckley-Ricketts sealed the three points in stoppage time with a fine individual goal.
Merthyr: Cogman, Margetson, Humphries, Maddox (Simpson 85), Pearson, J. Evans, Smerdon (Harris 89), K. Evans (Watts 73), Lucas (Matondo 78), Spiers (Wigley 73’, Jarvis. Subs not used: Ryan-Phillips, Williams.
Booked: Lucas, Humphries.
Morecambe: Boney, Coxe, Hogan, Baines, Garner (Davis 89), Daly, Newby, Lewis, O’Kane (Buckley-Ricketts 86), Cain, Curley (Williams 86). Subs not used: Young, Collis, Neill, Blois.
Booked: Garner, Hogan, Curley.
Ref: D Rogers.