Morecambe 1 Port Vale 0: Shrimps go second in League Two

Adam Phillips was the Shrimps’ matchwinner as he scored the only goal from the spot with 14 minutes remaining at the Mazuma Stadium.

One goal always looked likely to settle a game played out against the backdrop of a strong wind and driving rain.

Shrimps boss Derek Adams had kept faith with the starting XI which had earned three points at Southend United seven days earlier.

Port Vale had the majority of possession in the opening half, albeit without turning that into goalscoring opportunities.

The diagonal ball out wide to Devante Rodney and David Worrall seemed to be their main tactic, Rodney twice getting the better of Ryan Cooney and seeing one shot beaten out by Jake Turner.

The Morecambe keeper was also well positioned to hold Leon Legge’s header with that as good as it got for Vale in the first half.

At the other end, Phillips and Alex Kenyon had efforts off target, the latter leading to a corner from which a training ground routine ended with Cole Stockton shooting narrowly wide.

It was the Shrimps who could have led early in the second half with the best move of the game.

Carlos Mendes-Gomes’ pass was dummied by Stockton, releasing Aaron Wildig, who squared the ball for Phillips but his first-time effort was kept out by Scott Brown.

The deadlock was finally broken when Shaun Brisley was deemed to have barged into the back of Stockton and Phillips kept his nerve to score from the spot.

Try as they might, even with five minutes of added time, the Valiants could not get back on level terms.

The closest they came was when Danny Whitehead flashed a shot across goal, too far ahead of the stretching Theo Robinson, as Morecambe claimed the points.

Morecambe: Turner, Cooney, Davis, Lavelle, Gibson (Mellor 89), Kenyon, Wildig, O’Sullivan, Phillips (Songo’o 80), Mendes-Gomes (McAlinden 54), Stockton. Subs not used: Da Silva Mendes, Knight-Percival, Leitch-Smith, Pringle.

Port Vale: Brown, Gibbons, Legge, Brisley, Fitzpatrick, Joyce, Burgess (Whitehead 74), Conlon, Worrall, Cullen (Robinson 61), Rodney (Amoo 77). Subs not used: Visser, Crookes, Pope, Montano.

Referee: Robert Madley.