Morecambe 1 Braintree Town 1: Shrimps spurn an opportunity to escape the relegation places
Morecambe missed the chance to move out of the National League relegation zone after conceding a 97th-minute goal to draw 1-1 with relegation rivals Braintree Town.
The Shrimps looked set for a third successive victory courtesy of Jack Nolan’s 86th-minute penalty, which would have taken them out of the bottom four for the first time since August.
However, a Nolan mistake at the other end proved vital as his failed clearance gave Lewis Walker the chance to hammer home a last-gasp equaliser as Morecambe dropped home points in stoppage time for the second home game in a row.
Morecambe struggled to find their feet in the early stages but created a number of chances when they began to establish themselves.
Chris Popov was heavily involved and, after scuffing one chance wide, forced Mason Terry into a superb save from close range before failing to hit the target from two yards after being teed up by Paul Lewis.
Yann Songo’o also wasted a golden chance, snatching at a great opportunity after Terry palmed a Nolan free-kick into his path.
Braintree, however, always looked a threat with Eliot Thorpe’s curling effort flying inches wide and John Akinde’s volley forcing Jamal Blackman into a save.
Popov was again in the thick of things after the break, being denied by an excellent 78th-minute save from Terry after being played in on goal by substitute Mo Sangare.
Sangare then earned the Shrimps a late penalty when his quick feet proved too much for Thorpe, who brought him down.
Nolan hammered home the spot-kick and, for a brief period, the Shrimps were out of the bottom four.
That was not to last as Braintree staged a spirited comeback with both Liam Hogan and Kyle Jameson producing vital blocks before a damaging blow.
Goalkeeper Terry had gone up for a corner and latched onto Nolan’s error to cross into the box for the unmarked Walker to fire the ball into the roof of Blackman’s goal.
Morecambe: Blackman, Payne, Hogan, Dean, Jameson, Edwards (Williams 88), Azeez (Sangare 62), Songo’o (Ogwuru 73), Lewis (Cain 88), Nolan, Popov. Subs not used: Boney, Tollitt, Akindileni.
Braintree Town: Terry, Francis-Clarke, Smith, Drake, Clampin, Vennings, Okunowo, Massiah-Edwards (Dibley-Dias 77), Kamara (Walker 68), Thorpe (Akande 86), Akinde. Subs not used: Blunkell, Hamid, Cooper, Babic.
Referee: Andrew Miller
Attendance: 2,775.