Swindon Town 3, Morecambe 3: Shrimps end a difficult week with spirited display in thriller

​After a nightmare end to the week which saw Shrimps' players and staff not receive their wages as expected, a much changed side produced an excellent performance in a thrilling game.

With the Shrimps' players rumoured to be considering not making themselves available boss Ged Brannan was able to select from a virtually full squad but made five changes with 16-year-old Adam Fairclough handed his full debut and Cammy Smith making his first start of the season and both getting on the scoresheet.

The Shrimps started the game on the back foot and were a goal down after just five minutes. A free kick from the right was swung into the area and Charlie Austin was given far too much space in the box to head past the recalled Adam Smith.

To their credit the Shrimps came roaring back. Nelson Khumbeni tested Jack Bycroft with a shot from distance and Joe Adams threatened with a run into the box.

But Brannan's side were rewarded for their efforts on 15 minutes when they scored a good leveller.

Cammy Smith was found in the box and showed some neat footwork to lay the ball off to Adams whose shot took a deflection off a Swindon defender to wrong-foot Bycroft.

There then came a moment that Fairclough will never forget as he put the Shrimps ahead on 21 minutes when he hammered home the loose ball after Charlie Brown's effort was blocked.

The game continued to flow from end to end and the home side took advantage of some poor Morecambe defence to level on 35 minutes.

Frazer Blake-Tracy was allowed to run through the middle and produced the perfect ball for Austin to run on to produce a perfect finish past Smith.

After an action-packed, the second period saw far fewer chances for either side.Cammy Smith went close with an effort from the right-hand side before David Tutonda denied Paul Glatzel a shot on goal with a superb covering tackle.

The Shrimps found themselves behind again on 74 minutes with a well worked Swindon goal.

A Morecambe corner was cleared and a quick breakaway saw Dawson Devoy cross to the back post for Williams Kokolo to direct a first time volley past Adam Smith.

Again the Shrimps fought back strongly. Gwion Edwards’ saw a cross deflected by Swindon defender Conor McCarthy onto the post. The Morecambe winger continued to be a threat and played a massive part in the leveller with a shot that was only parried by substitute goalkeeper

Redman Evans into the path of Cammy Smith who volleyed the rebound home.

The Shrimps had the final chance of a excellent end of season game when in added time, Edwards had a chance to seal the three points but saw his shot saved by the legs of Evans.

Swindon Town: Bycroft (Evans 68), Blake-Tracy, Glatzel (Drinan 71), McGurk (Devoy 62), Cain, Kokolo, McCarthy, Austin, McGregor (Elbouzedi 62), Hunt (Godwin-Malife 62), Ofoborh. Subs not used: Aguiar, Brown.

Booked: McCarthy.

Morecambe: A Smith, Love, Tutonda (Rawson,80), Harrack, Adams (Rooney 80), C Smith, Edwards, Brown, Threlkeld (Davenport 80), Khumbeni (Songo’o 66), Fairclough (Larsson 58). Subs not used: Mair, Senior.

Attendance: 8,859 (204 away).