Morecambe 0 Walsall 2: Defeat leaves Shrimps stuck in the drop zone
Morecambe suffered a second home defeat of the week to keep them in the League Two relegation places.
Second-half goals from Taylor Allen and Jamie Jellis gave Walsall victory after Morecambe were reduced to 10 men, after Rhys Williams was sent off six minutes into the second half on a day where the Shrimps once again failed to find the target.
Williams' red card proved to be the decisive moment of the game at 0-0 but the Shrimps' miserable goalscoring form continued with Lee Angol, Andy Dallas and Marcus Dackers once again wasting glorious chances.
Morecambe manager Derek Adams made four changes to the side that lost against Doncaster, with Harry Burgoyne now the club's only senior fit keeper returning alongside Yann Songo, Angol and Max Taylor.
With both teams eager to get the ball forward quickly Walsall had the first effort with a Ryan Stirk goalbound shot being blocked by his own player, before the Shrimps created their first opening when Luke Hendrie provided the perfect cross for Dallas, only for him to head over.
The visitors hit back with Jellis testing Burgoyne and Allen fizzing a shot over the bar before the Shrimps created a chance on 34 minutes when Dackers flicked on for Angol to have a free run on goal, only for the striker to blaze his effort wastefully over.
Angol then had another chance moments later as a corner dropped to him at the far post but again he failed to find the target from close range at full stretch.
As with most Morecambe games this season there was a fear those missed could prove costly – and that is exactly how it turned out.
Six minutes into the second half, Williams got the wrong side of Jellis and hauled him down 25 yards from goal and was given a straight red card.
To make matters worse for the Shrimps, Allen – who scored against Morecambe on the opening day of the season – converted the free-kick with a curler that went in off the foot of Burgoyne's left-hand post.
Despite being down to 10 men, the Shrimps rallied and should have levelled on 75 minutes when Adam Lewis put in the perfect cross for Dackers but he headed over with a poor effort.
Once again the youngster was made to pay for a bad miss as Walsall scored their second three minutes from the end, when Jellis weaved to create a chance on the edge of the Morecambe box and drilled an effort past Burgoyne.
It was the Shrimps' 21st league defeat of the season but with Tranmere and Carlisle both failing to win, it is still all to play for in their fight to avoid relegation from the Football League.
Morecambe: Burgoyne, Hendrie (Cooke 68), Taylor, Williams, Tutonda (A Lewis 69), Songo'o, Macadam, Angol (Garner, 68), Dallas (Stott 52), P Lewis (Edwards 86), Dackers. Subs not used: White, Tollitt
Walsall: Simkin, Barrett (Asiimwe 90), Gordon (Weir 90), McEntee, Matt (Adomah 72), Comley, Allen, Jellis, Harrison (Amantchi 72), Stirk, Okagbue. Subs not used: Hornby, Williams, Johnson
Referee: B Speedie
Attendance: 3,457