Match Report: Morecambe 1 Walsall 1 Match Report: Morecambe 1 Walsall 1

Match Report: Morecambe 1 Walsall 1

Here is our Match Report from Tuesday evening's League Two clash between Morecambe and Walsall.
The Saddlers arrived at the match on the back of a one-all draw with Oldham Athletic whilst Morecambe saw a four-game winning streak ended by Leyton Orient as the O's grabbed two late goals to secure all three points.

Darrell Clarke's side were looking to add to their point - their first in four League Two outings - as they made the trip to the Shrimps' Mazuma Stadium on a chilly Tuesday evening in the North West.

Walsall got the match underway, and within a minute, the Saddlers had won the first corner of the game, from which Zak Jules saw an effort sail over the crossbar. 
Morecambe had soon worked the ball up to the other end, winning an early corner themselves as Yann Songo'o saw a right-footed shot from distance blocked, however that flag-kick too would come to nothing.

The succession of corners continued, with the Saddlers earning their second in the eighth minute, as Ryan Cooney turned the ball out of play. Jack Nolan swung the ball into the box, and Jules went close again with a headed effort which looked destined for the top corner, but for the head of Adam Phillips who did well to clear the ball off the line, before Cole Stockton turned the it behind for another flag-kick, which came to nothing.

Stockton saw a chance missed at the other end, just three minutes later, as he connected with a Sam Lavelle headed pass, only to see his effort stopped by Walsall 'keeper, Liam Roberts. The Saddlers shot-stopper looked to have picked up a knock in the process, but fortunately, he was able to continue.

The hosts continued to enjoy a decent spell, with Aaron Wildig playing Stockton in again, but the Saddlers defences stood firm and blocked the effort on goal, before clearing the resulting corner.

At the other end, Wes McDonald saw a nineteenth minute effort blocked, before he looked to play in Josh Gordon, whose left-footed effort from outside the area sailed wide of the upright.

Things settled a little as we headed passed the twenty minute mark, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball, without creating much to cause the other any concern.

As we reached the half hour mark, the Saddlers created probably their best chance of the game so far, as Nolan played McDonald through on goal, but Wes was unable to find the target from a tight angle, sending the ball narrowly wide of the upright.

Nolan continued to cause problems for the Morecambe defences, playing in Gordon, with a floating cross, just three minutes later, however, Mark Halstead was alert to the danger and saved the six yard effort.

The Saddlers persistence paid off in the thirty-seventh minute, as Nolan worked the ball to Elijah Adebayo, whose cross across the face of goal was met by Gordon, who saw his initial effort turned onto the post by Halstead, before he connected with the rebound to secure his fifth goal of the campaign.

With forty minutes on the clock, both Zak Jules and Cole Stockton saw yellow, as a foul by the former on the latter saw tempers fray.

The hosts looked to respond quickly to falling a goal behind, but Roberts was well placed to comfortably save John O'Sullivan's effort, before Stephen Hendrie fired wide from a free-kick moments later.

Two additional minutes were added to end the first-half, but neither side was able to create anything further of note, and the two sides headed off for their half-time refreshments with Walsall leading by one-goal-to-nil.

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HT
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MORECAMBE
0 - 1
WALSALL

The teams returned unchanged after the break, and Morecambe got the second-half underway. The hosts began the half brightly, winning a corner just two minutes in, which the Walsall defences dealt with, before the home team saw a Phillips effort blocked two minutes later, with a second Shrimps flag-kick coming to nothing seconds later, as Songo'o headed over.

The hosts continued to look the brighter of the two teams as the game continued, with Phillips again going close in the fifty-seventh minute. His effort from a set-piece situation sailing narrowly over the crossbar.

Just two minutes later though, the Saddlers were presented with a chance to double their advantage, as Gordon played in Adebayo, who dragged his effort wide of the upright.

It didn't take long for Morecambe to work the ball up to the other end, where O'Sullivan looked to have set up Carlos Mendes Gomes, but Roberts was well positioned in the Walsall goal to keep the powerful effort out, with Hendrie's follow up being turned behind for a corner, which came to nothing. A series of flag-kicks followed, but the Saddlers defences stood firm to keep their slender lead intact.

With sixty-six minutes on the clock, the Saddlers opted to make their first change of the evening, as the busy Jack Nolan made way for Cameron Norman.

Moments after the change, Adebayo was presented with a chance to double his sides lead, but the strikers effort from outside the area sailed wide of the upright, without troubling the man between the sticks.

Walsall continued to enjoy a brighter spell, with Adebayo again picking up the ball in shooting range in the seventieth minute, however, a last-gasp tackle saw the ball deflected behind for a corner, which came to nothing.

With quarter of an hour to play, the Shrimps opted to make their first change of the evening, as John O'Sullivan made way for former Saddlers trialist Liam McAlinden.

McAlinden was quick to get involved in the action, as he set up Wildig just moments after his introduction, but Aaron's effort from outside the box sailed narrowly wide of Roberts' upright.

With seventy-nine minutes on the clock, Sam Lavelle became the third player to see yellow, as he picked up a booking for a foul.

Ten minutes from time, the home side levelled the scores, as a cross from Cooney was met by Mendes Gomes, who headed home from six yards out.

The Saddlers looked to respond quickly, with Dan Scarr meeting a cross into the box from Norman in the eighty-second minute, but his headed effort sailed over the bar and the scores remained tied.

In the eighty-eighth minute, Morecambe felt they should have been awarded a penalty, as Wildig was fouled inside the area, however the referee was unmoved by their appeals and awarded a corner kick after consulting with his linesman.

This resulted in some upset from the home side, leading to Stephen Hendrie receiving a yellow card, and his manager, Derek Adams, being shown the red card.

Four additional minutes were added to end the game, but there was little further action of note before the referee brought an end to the contest with the scores tied at one-goal-apiece.

A somewhat disappointing evening for the Saddlers, who failed to take their chances to put the game to bed, however, overall the contest was a fairly even affair and on balance the result was probably a fair one

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FT
-
MORECAMBE
1 - 1
WALSALL
Mendes Gomes (80')
Gordon (37')
VENUE
Mazuma Stadium
REFEREE
Graham Salisbury
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