Morecambe 4 Oldham Athletic 3: Shrimps hang on for another three points on home soil

Morecambe survived a late scare to keep themselves firmly in the League Two promotion battle with another victory at the Mazuma Stadium.
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Derek Adams’ players made it six wins from their last eight on home soil to keep up the pressure on the top three.

However, having led 4-1 with 78 minutes gone, two goals in 10 minutes left them hanging on for a win that was less straightforward than had looked the case.

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Adams named an unchanged starting XI and bench from the Morecambe side which defeated Scunthorpe United in midweek.

Carlos Mendes Gomes scored twice for MorecmabeCarlos Mendes Gomes scored twice for Morecmabe
Carlos Mendes Gomes scored twice for Morecmabe
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They began on the front foot, penning their visitors in from the outset and pressuring them into conceding possession.

Carlos Mendes Gomes flicked an early half-chance wide but made no mistake in the fifth minute, firing home from Kelvin Mellor’s ball down the right-hand channel.

Three minutes later, Cole Stockton controlled Mellor’s clearance before releasing John O’Sullivan, whose shot from distance was tipped over by Laurie Walker.

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A second goal would not come, however, and the visitors began to work their way back into the game.

Davis Keillor-Dunn saw two routine efforts held by Kyle Letheren, while an offside flag ruled out Cameron Borthwick-Jackson’s strike.

Walker made hard work of denying Mendes Gomes before Oldham should have levelled on 26 minutes.

Breaking from a Morecambe corner, Conor McAleny drove into the area before squaring the ball to Keillor-Dunn, who allowed Letheren to smother his attempt.

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Walker kept out another Stockton effort but the striker should have made it 2-0 on 33 minutes, firing wide after Liam Gibson’s cross had fallen his way.

That generosity came back to haunt the Shrimps six minutes before half-time.

Kyle Jameson’s ball over the top was controlled by McAleny, who lobbed it over the onrushing Letheren to equalise.

However, two goals in four minutes before the break handed the initiative back to Morecambe.

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The first arrived on 42 minutes as Mendes Gomes fizzed the ball across goal and Aaron Wildig netted from close range.

Then, with first-half added time almost up, Stockton collected Wildig’s pass before turning and firing past Walker.

The second half opened in the same entertaining fashion with Toumani Diagouraga shooting wide and Callum Whelan firing over for the visitors.

Eight minutes into the half and Morecambe’s fourth arrived, Gibson supplying Diagouraga whose delightful through ball was converted by Mendes Gomes.

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Scorer almost turned creator again just past the hour, this time Mendes Gomes releasing Wildig behind Oldham’s porous defence but his effort was held by Walker.

Diagouraga flicked another attempt off target for the Shrimps, who were forced into a change midway through the half when O’Sullivan limped off.

Oldham also freshened up their team as the half progressed with one of their replacements, Nicky Adams, setting up their second on 78 minutes.

His inswinging corner reached the far post, where Borthwick-Jackson finished clinically to give the Latics a little hope in the latter stages.

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That hope was raised further on 88 minutes when another Adams corner was converted, this time by Jameson.

Four minutes of added time ramped up the tension further but the Shrimps held out for another three points.

Morecambe: Letheren, Mellor, Knight-Percival, Lavelle, Gibson, Songo’o, O’Sullivan (Cooney 65), Diagouraga, Wildig (Lyons 83), Mendes Gomes, Stockton (Hendrie 90). Subs not used: Halstead, Davis, McAlinden, Price.

Oldham Athletic: Walker, Clarke (Hilssner 66), Piergianni, Jameson, Fage (Adams 60), McCalmont (Garrity 60), Whelan, Borthwick-Jackson, Bahamboula (Blackwood 60), McAleny, Keillor-Dunn (Vaughan 84). Subs not used: Bilboe, Badan.

Referee: Michael Salisbury.

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