Morecambe 1 Accrington 0
Aaron Wildig’s twelfth minute strike earns Morecambe three points and ends the winless run against Accrington.
Accrington had the better start, Windass forcing Barry Roche into a smart save from 25 yards in the second minute.
Andy Parrish got a shoulder to Piero Mingoia’s effort to guide the ball over the crossbar.
It was Morecambe though who took their early chance. Laurence Wilson played the ball to Paul Mullin who did well under pressure to carry the ball into the final third. He found Jamie Devitt in the penalty area who played a first time ball to Aaron Wildig who chopped the ball across goal into the far post.
The following ten minutes were very even. Jamie Devitt and Josh Windass both with efforts on goal.
Alan Goodall had a thirty-five yard thunderbolt tipped onto the crossbar by Stanley keeper Jason Mooney. The ball rebounded to Kevin Ellison who reacted well to get a shot off on the half volley, but Mooney was quick to recover and gathered the ball.
Towards the end of the first half, Paul Mullin was brought down in Stanley’s penalty area after a short corner routine but referee Stuart Attwell judged it to be a fair challenge.
The second half was a tight affair. Pearson and Crooks with half chances for Accrington in the first twenty minutes. It was Aaron Wildig though who had the best effort on goal, on sixty-eight minutes Jamie Devitt teed up Kevin Ellison’s cross for Wildig to shoot from fifteen yards. Mooney was equal to it and tipped over for a corner.
Chaos in Stanley’s box followed when Mooney flapped at Devitt’s delivery and the ball fell to Ellison who was on the goal line with Crooks. The pair jostled for position and Ellison couldn’t quite get the touch needed to divert the ball over the line.
Accrington’s golden opportunity to level the scoreline came in the seventy-fourth minute when Mingoia released McConville down the right hand side. The Stanley substitute drove the ball towards the far post and Barry Roche took evasive action getting a right hand to the ball palming it into the path of Windass for whom the goal was gaping. Windass though failed to hit the target from six yards firing the ball high over the bar.
After another penalty shout for Morecambe involving a coming together between Aaron Wildig and Liam Wakefield, Kevin Ellison broke down the left for Morecambe and put in a fantastic cross for substitute Andy Fleming to volley home at the far post. The referee’s assistant though ruled out the goal for a push in the penalty area.
Accrington committed bodies forward during the five added minutes but Morecambe defended well to earn their first points of the season and a memorable win over their Lancashire rivals.
Morecambe: Roche, Beeley, Edeards, Parrish, Wilson, Goodall, Wildig, Molyneux ( Fleming, 54), Devitt (Kenyon, 84), Ellison, Mullin (Ryan, 54).
Subs not used: McGowan, Dugdale, Miller, Thompson.
Booked: Kenyon
Accrington: Mooney, Wakefield, Davies, Winnard, Pearson, Mingoia, Crooks, Conneely (Morgan, 71), Barry (McConville, 60), Windass, Gornell (Kee, 45)
Subs not used: Etheridge, Wright, Bruna, Buxton, Kee.
Booked: Winnard
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Attendance: 1,865