Back in time: Morecambe's winning start to life at the Globe Arena

With the League Two season set to be officially declared over and all local sport in lockdown, we’re taking a trip back into the archives to look at some past Morecambe matches.
Morecambe celebrate Andy Fleming scoring against Coventry CityMorecambe celebrate Andy Fleming scoring against Coventry City
Morecambe celebrate Andy Fleming scoring against Coventry City

This week, we’re heading back to August 2010 when the Shrimps christened the Globe Arena with a 2-0 victory against Coventry City in the Carling Cup.

This was how DEREK QUINN described the action that night...

Andy Fleming wrote his way into Morecambe’s record books with a debut he will never forget.

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The summer signing scored both goals as Morecambe capped an historic night at the Globe Arena with a superb Carling Cup win over Championship side Coventry City.

The former Wrexham man scored a goal in either half to mark the opening of the new £12m Arena in the best possible fashion.

Fleming said: “I only knew I was playing when I turned up to the ground and that was a great feeling.

“But to go on and score both goals as well was unbelievable and it is a night I will never forget.

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“When I scored the first someone said to me that I’d made history with the first goal on the new ground and that made it all the more exciting for me.

“To get another after that was brilliant and things could not have gone any better for me and the lads.”

The game itself saw Coventry have the better of the opening exchanges with Chris Hussey hitting the foot of the post with a right-foot curler on 15 minutes and former Shrimps star Carl Baker heading over from close range from the rebound.

Roy O’Donovan had a golden chance to give his side the lead on 23 minutes after latching on to a mistake from Darren Moss but shot weakly wide when he should have done much better, and midfielder Craig Stanley produced a superb covering tackle to foil Clive Platt as he looked to have a free run on goal.

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But after a slow start Morecambe came into the game themselves with Chris Shuker and Stanley providing some dangerous crosses before Fleming struck in first-half injury time with a neat shot on the turn from Adam Rundle’s cross.

The second half again saw Coventry do the early pressing and O’Donovan was guilty of wasting another excellent chance when his attempted lob over Barry Roche dropped well wide of the Morecambe goal.

And he was made to pay for a second time as Fleming scored a second just after the hour when Morecambe created space again down the left and Fleming was left unmarked in the box to steer a fine effort past Doyle.

The Shrimps came close to adding a third with Chris McCready heading inches wide from a Shuker free-kick and Stanley hitting the post after an excellent one-two with Phil Jevons but it mattered little as the Shrimps ended the night in style.